He was a meticulous thief targeting wealthy homes, until one slip-up

In July 2020, Detective Sergeant Sean Schimizzi from Stonnington CIU saw a pattern in the eight Toorak homes robbed in just over one week. Designer goods, cash and jewellery were stolen, but one thing really stood out.

“It was the style of burglary that had been committed,” Schimizzi tells crime reporter John Silvester in the Naked City podcast.

“We’re talking a high-end, organised, burglary group.”

It would take a year-long investigation, codenamed Oceans, to identify the pattern and the extent of the sophisticated burglaries – some reaching as far as Queensland and totalling millions of dollars.

The gang did not strike during daylight saving as they wanted the cover of darkness, they selected houses where the lights were off, and they would target houses next to building sites or vacant blocks. Planning was impeccable, until one slip-up.

In this episode of Naked City, Silvester interviews Schimizzi, who nabbed a meticulous international cat burglar.

Silvester is a columnist for The Age. He has covered Melbourne’s crime beat and justice system since the 1970s, winning numerous accolades including three Walkley Awards and six Melbourne Press Club Quill Awards. He has written or co-authored more than 30 books including the Underbelly books, which were made into a TV series.

John Silvester lifts the lid on Australia’s criminal underworld. Subscribers can sign up to receive his Naked City newsletter every Thursday.