A Green Island commercial property has been targeted in burglaries during the past two weeks.
The property in Main South Rd had been broken into twice since January 11, Senior Sergeant Liz Waru, of Dunedin, said.
In the first incident, a fork hoist was taken for a "joyride'' and crashed into a fence while the operator was doing "doughnuts''.
The keys had been left in the machine before the incident.
On Tuesday, 10 tonnes of product was emptied from a hopper when a button on the machine was pushed just after midnight, Snr Sgt Waru said.
The product would have taken about five hours to empty. It is thought the offenders may be youths.
"The community constables have been down there to just have some discussions about how they might mitigate ... instances of people coming on to their property.''
Another commercial property on the same road in Green Island was broken into overnight on Wednesday, Snr Sgt Waru said.
A Toyota Hilux four-litre turbo engine and a four-wheel-drive gearbox were stolen from a pallet.
The items would have taken four to five people to move, she said.
In other incidents, a DVD player, TV, small furniture items and kitchen equipment were stolen from a vacant Corstorphine Rd property between January 15 and Wednesday; a wallet was stolen from a Heriot Row property overnight on Wednesday and a ladder was taken from a house in Ralston St, Allanton, on Sunday.
Police were called to a vacant Leith St property when a neighbour reported hearing someone inside.
It is thought an intruder got in through a window.
