Staff at a Meridian Mall outlet helped catch a criminal after a well-known shoplifter was spotted wandering around the central city shopping complex.
Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said police were called to the Meridian Mall on Saturday at 3.50pm after a store's employees recognised a well-known shoplifter who had hit their shop a couple of days earlier.
The 38-year-old woman had been in the store on August 15 when she allegedly stole $1011 worth of items, mainly fragrances.
When police arrived on Saturday, they located the woman with a bag full of items - all with their tags still on from another shop in the mall.
She claimed she paid for the items, but inquiries revealed the store staff had not served her and there was no sales purchase record for the $279.90 worth of items she had with her.
The woman was arrested and charged with two shoplifting offences, as well as numerous historic shoplifting offences.
This included a petrol drive-off from July 1 and 7, worth $20 and $30 respectively.
She also allegedly stole from Repco throughout July and August, taking products worth $949 from the store.
She will appear in Dunedin District Court this morning.
