An Australian man has been charged with stealing over A$600,000 ($393,500; £309,000) worth of limited-edition Bluey coins.
The coins, based on the popular children’s show, were released by the Royal Australian Mint in June and sparked a buying frenzy.
Police reported last month that 63,000 unreleased $1 Bluey coins had been stolen from a warehouse in Western Sydney, where the 47-year-old suspect was allegedly employed.
Some of these coins are now selling for ten times their original price.
The man, Steven John Neilson, was arrested during a raid on Wednesday and has been charged with three counts of breaking and entering. He was denied bail at his court appearance in Parramatta.
Authorities claim that the coins were sold online shortly after their theft from the warehouse, where they were awaiting transport to the mint.
Although around 1,000 coins have been recovered, the rest are believed to be in circulation.
The coins, part of a collection branded as Dollarbucks, were highly sought after, with only 30,000 of each coin and 30,000 sets originally minted.
This means about a third of the total production was reportedly stolen.
The Royal Australian Mint declined to comment on the case due to the ongoing investigation, which has been named Strike Force Bandit after Bandit, Bluey’s father in the show.
The coin launch day saw overwhelming demand, with the mint’s phone lines diverted to manage sales amid what was termed “Blueymania.”
While the three-coin sets were sold for A$55 and individual coins for A$20, some sets are now listed on eBay for up to A$400.
Bluey, a popular animated series produced by Brisbane-based Ludo and broadcast by BBC Studios and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, is a global hit.
It aired in over 60 countries and was streamed for over 20 billion minutes on Disney+ in the US last year, ranking among the top 10 streaming programs.
The show, featuring the Heeler family of dogs, has over 150 episodes across three seasons.
Source-BBC
