An Australian man faces court on Wednesday after police arrested him for allegedly stealing over A$600,000 ($393,000) worth of special coins linked to the children's TV show "Bluey."
The 47-year-old faces accusations of taking 63,000 unreleased, limited-edition A$1 coins from a secure warehouse in Sydney's Wetherill Park in June. Police set up "Strike Force Bandit" to investigate the theft.
"Bluey," an Australian animated show for kids, also enjoys popularity among adults. It ranked as one of the most streamed shows in the U.S. last year and holds the 14th spot on IMDB.com's highest-rated shows of all time.
The Australian mint produced the coins, which resemble regular A$1 coins but feature "Bluey," a dog character, on one side. These coins are legal tender and sell online for ten times their face value. The mint's website offers similar commemorative coins for A$20 each. On eBay, one seller asked nearly A$600 for a pack of three.
Detective Superintendent Joseph Doueihi, speaking at a press conference, admitted he initially did not realize the show’s popularity. "The theft of these coins has deprived many children and community members of access to them. We are working hard to recover these coins and return them to circulation."
Police reported that the man worked at the warehouse for two days, during which he allegedly stole the coins, weighing 500 kilograms (1102 lb), from the back of a truck with the help of two male accomplices. They then sold the coins online within hours.
In a raid on a Sydney house in June, police recovered 189 coins. However, Doueihi said that most of the coins are already in circulation. Those who have received one do not need to return it to the police, he added.