Man charged with stealing hundreds of chocolate bars

9:39 am today

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A man has been arrested and charged with stealing hundreds of bars of chocolate worth thousands of dollars.

Police said the 35-year-old was accused of stealing more than $9000 worth of goods from one part of Auckland alone.

The man is facing 21 charges, 19 of which relate to shoplifting.

"It appears this person has allegedly targeted chocolate from various supermarkets across the city," Auckland City West Area Prevention Manager Inspector Wayne Kitcher said.

In one case the man was accused of stealing more than $3000 worth from a supermarket in Te Atatū, police said.

The man appeared in the Auckland District Court at the weekend and has been held in custody.

He is due before the courts again in August.

"This is an example of some exceptional police work, particularly by one of our intelligence officers, which led to this arrest," Kitcher said.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.