Bluey Coin Worth IDR 6.3 Billion Stolen By Australian Warehouse Worker

JAKARTA - An Australian man underwent trial in court after being arrested on suspicion of stealing a Bluey coin worth more than A$600,000 (US$393,000 or 6.3 billion).

The 47-year-old was charged with stealing 64,000 limited edition A$1 coins that had not been released from a warehouse at Wetherill Park, Sydney's outskirts in June, according to the "Stricke Force Bandit", a special unit formed by police to investigate the theft.

The coins are produced by Australian money printing. The perpetrators of the theft sell online at a price ten times the original price.

Similar special warning coins sell for A$20 each on the money printing website. One eBay seller sold nearly A$600 for a package containing three pieces.

Detective Inspector Joseph Doueihi told reporters at a news conference he initially did not know Bluey's popularity, the television cartoon.

"The theft of these coins has made many small children and community members lose access to these coins, so we are doing our best to try to restore these coins and return them to circulation," he said.

Police said the man worked in the warehouse and stole the coins, which weighed 500 kilograms from the back of the truck, before selling them online within hours. Police are looking for the man's two accomplices.

A house raid in Sydney in June found 189 coins and most of the coins were already in circulation.

He appealed to anyone who had information about large amounts of coin deposits to contact the police.