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‘Bluey’ Coins Worth $400,000 Stolen by Australian Warehouse Worker, Police Say

This undated handout photo taken by the New South Wales Police Force and released on August 7, 2024 shows bags of seized commemorative Bluey coins at an undisclosed location. (New South Wales Police / AFP)
This undated handout photo taken by the New South Wales Police Force and released on August 7, 2024 shows bags of seized commemorative Bluey coins at an undisclosed location. (New South Wales Police / AFP)
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‘Bluey’ Coins Worth $400,000 Stolen by Australian Warehouse Worker, Police Say

This undated handout photo taken by the New South Wales Police Force and released on August 7, 2024 shows bags of seized commemorative Bluey coins at an undisclosed location. (New South Wales Police / AFP)
This undated handout photo taken by the New South Wales Police Force and released on August 7, 2024 shows bags of seized commemorative Bluey coins at an undisclosed location. (New South Wales Police / AFP)

An Australian man is set to appear in court on Wednesday after being arrested for the alleged theft of more than A$600,000 ($393,000) worth of commemorative coins linked to the popular children's television show "Bluey", police said.

The 47-year-old is accused of stealing 63,000 unreleased, limited-edition A$1 coins from a secure warehouse in the Sydney suburb of Wetherill Park in June, according to "Strike Force Bandit", a special unit police set up to investigate the theft.

One of last year's most streamed television shows in the United States, the Australian animated show targeted at children is widely loved by adults too and is the 14th highest-rated show of all time, movie tracker website IMDB.com showed.

The coins, produced by the Australian mint, are legal tender and resemble regular A$1 coins albeit with one face featuring the anthropomorphic canine character "Bluey". Police say they are selling online for 10 times their face value.

A similar run of special commemorative coins sell for A$20 each on the mint's website - coins designed to be collectors' items only and not legal tender. One eBay seller was charging almost A$600 for a pack of three.

Detective Superintendent Joseph Doueihi told reporters at a press conference he was not initially aware of the show's popularity.

"The theft of these coins have deprived a lot of young children and members of the community from having access to these coins, so we're doing our absolute best to try to recover these coins and put them back into circulation."

Police said the man worked at the warehouse where the coins were being stored for two days on their way to Brisbane.

They alleged he stole the coins, which weighed 500 kilograms (1102 lb), from the back of a truck with the help of two male accomplices. The coins were then sold online within hours.

A raid on a Sydney house in June recovered 189 coins but Doueihi said the vast bulk of coins are already in circulation. Those who have received one do not need to surrender it to police, he said.

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More than 120 People Died in Tokyo from Heatstroke in July

People look at Tokyo Skytree from an observation floor of a building in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on Thursday. AFP
People look at Tokyo Skytree from an observation floor of a building in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on Thursday. AFP
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More than 120 People Died in Tokyo from Heatstroke in July

People look at Tokyo Skytree from an observation floor of a building in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on Thursday. AFP
People look at Tokyo Skytree from an observation floor of a building in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on Thursday. AFP

More than 120 people died of heatstroke in the Tokyo metropolitan area in July, when the nation's average temperature hit record highs and heat warnings were in effect much of the month, Japanese authorities said Tuesday.

According to the Tokyo Medical Examiner's Office, many of the 123 people who died were elderly. All but two were found dead indoors, and most were not using air conditioners despite having them installed, The AP reported.

Japanese health authorities and weather forecasters repeatedly advised people to stay indoors, consume ample liquids to avoid dehydration and use air conditioning, because elderly people often think that air conditioning is not good for one's health and tend to avoid using it.

It was the largest number of heatstroke deaths in Tokyo's 23 metropolitan districts in July since 127 deaths were recorded during a 2018 heatwave, the medical examiner's office said.

More than 37,000 people were treated at hospitals for heatstroke across Japan from July 1 to July 28, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

The average temperature in July was 2.16 degrees Celsius (3.89 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the average over the past 30 years, making it the hottest July since the Japan Meteorological Agency began keeping records in 1898.

On Tuesday, heatstroke warnings were in place in much of Tokyo and western Japan. The temperature rose to about 34 C (93 F) in downtown Tokyo, where many people carried parasols or handheld fans.

“I feel every year the hot period is getting longer,” said Hidehiro Takano from Kyoto. “I have the aircon on all the time, including while I’m sleeping. I try not to go outside.”

Maxime Picavet, a French tourist, showed a portable fan he bought in Tokyo. “It works very, very well,” he said. “With this temperature, it's a necessity."

The meteorological agency predicted more heat in August, with temperatures of 35 C (95 F) or higher.

“Please pay attention to temperature forecasts and heatstroke alerts and take adequate precautions to prevent heatstroke,” it said in a statement.