Balclutha police prevention Sergeant Tim Coudret said inquiries began following a noted rise in thefts from vehicles over the past few weeks.
Police investigated and identified suspects via CCTV footage.
Police then executed a search warrant on the property of the suspect and uncovered a large amount of reported stolen property, all vehicles.
The 17-year-old appeared in the Dunedin Youth Court and will be reappearing later in the month.
Sgt Coudret said it was always positive to hold someone to account and it was good for the public to be reunited with their property.
"All of the property were vehicles reported stolen in the Milton area," he said.
"Some vehicles had forced entry and some were left unlocked.
"It’s a hard thing because we want these people off the street, but people should always remember to lock it or lose it.
"Make sure your cars are locked, ensure basic safety is done in and around your homes."
Since the incident, offending had stopped in the Milton area.
"It’s like a mini crime ring has stopped in Milton," he said.
"One thing that definitely helped us was the CCTV footage from a property.
"The footage ultimately helped us to identify the suspect and without it we may not have for a while, if at all."
Sgt Coudret said it was a real help when residents had security cameras and it helped to give homeowners some peace of mind by having them.
"As we’re leading into warmer days and longer nights, unfortunately there are people out there who will take advantage.
"As much as we want to remove the opportunists, we have to remember there’s a bit of a crime triangle. You have your victim, your offender and your opportunity.
"If we all try our best to minimise the opportunity, we can cause that triangle to topple."
Things like sensor lights and cameras made a big difference in keeping homes safe.
Sgt Coudret said some of the property was unidentified so if people knew of vehicles which had been stolen they should contact their local police.
