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Two men are set to spend several months in jail awaiting their sentencing after taking over 60,000 coins meant to celebrate a well-loved Australian animated series.
In June 2024, Steven John Neilson, aged 47, and Nassar Kanj, aged 45, stole a 500kg shipment containing 63,000 limited edition Bluey coins from a warehouse located in western Sydney.
Both have pleaded guilty to aggravated break and enter, and committing an indictable offence in company to steal more than $60,000.
The pair were given an October 8 date for sentencing in Parramatta District Court today.
The prosecutors will have until September 26 to file submissions with the defence to respond by October 3.
The stolen coins were created by the Australian Mint for a special release in September 2024.
Imprinted were characters of the popular Logie-winning kids’ television show Bluey.
Some of the mint’s limited edition Bluey coins were found with a legitimate coin collector by police in August, but he had to give them up.
Neilson and Kanj sold the coins online for 10 times their $1 face value, police say.
The two men allegedly worked at the warehouse where the coins were stolen.
Police seized 189 Bluey coins and arrested Neilson following a search of a south-west Sydney property in August.
Kanj was arrested after police searched another western Sydney home later that month.
The 45-year-old faced additional charges for three cases of aggravated break and enter to commit a serious crime, but these charges have since been dropped.
Both men remain in custody.
A third person was arrested and charged in October, alleged to be the getaway driver.
After her arrest, police found more than 40,000 coins in a storage facility.
She will return to court on July 31.
Bluey has become a global phenomenon after first airing in Australia on the ABC in 2018.
It follows the adventures of a young dog and her family living in suburban Brisbane.