Gilmour told the Rotorua Daily Post he was contracted by private property owners at Lake Tarawera to do security work and alarm checks.<\/p>\n
He operates several security cameras in the area and can monitor all vehicles coming in and out of Tarawera.<\/p>\n
Gilmour said he checked security footage and saw a ute entering the Boat Shed Bay area on Friday at 11.19pm.<\/p>\n
Gilmour said he was also passed information from \u201cpeople knowing people\u201d alerting him to a \u201cboasting\u201d social media post that allegedly showed the missing wheels.<\/p>\n
He followed leads to a property where he believed the items would be.<\/p>\n
Gilmour and two men whose wheels were missing went to the address.<\/p>\n
He said the ute he believed had entered Tarawera the night before was parked in the driveway.<\/p>\n
Thirteen wheels were taken off five trailers.<\/p>\n
There were more than 30 wheels and tyres stacked up at the property, Gilmour claimed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knocked on the door and they were a bit stunned.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gilmour said they told the people inside they did not believe the tyres belonged to them, and that they were there to get them back. <\/p>\n
He said he told them police had been notified and security footage passed on.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe said \u2018we are going to take the tyres now\u2019 and to expect a call from police.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three men loaded up their vehicles with the wheels and tyres and returned to Boat Shed Bay, where they matched them up to the trailers. <\/p>\n
Another of the targeted trailers.<\/p>\n
Gilmour said the other items they retrieved had been handed to police, along with security camera footage.<\/p>\n
Gilmour said the incident showed the value of security cameras and the \u201cstupidity of muppets\u201d bragging on social media.<\/p>\n
He said it was an eventful but rewarding weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t manage to get my lawns done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rotorua Police relieving area commander Inspector Jamie Keenleyside said they were aware of reports of thefts involving trailer wheels in the Boat Shed Bay area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are following lines of inquiry into this offending and will provide further details when they become available. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe would encourage anyone who has been a victim of this offending to make a report via 105.police.govt.nz<\/a> or by calling 105.”<\/p>\n