Over 40,000 limited edition coins based on the children’s cartoon Bluey have been found by police in Australia after a raid on a storage unit.
In July around 63,000 of the coins had been stolen from a warehouse in Sydney, two months before they were meant to enter circulation.
They are valued at 1 Australian dollar each, the equivalent of 50p in the UK.
Police have now found 40,061 of the coins that were taken over three months ago, in a self-storage facility 6 miles away from their original home. Almost 23,000 coins are still unaccounted for.
Three people have already been arrested in connection with the theft.
Steven Nielsen and Nassar Kanj, both 44, were arrested in August, while 27-year-old Christina Vale was arrested and charged with breaking and entering on Tuesday.
Police believe Ms Vale acted as a getaway driver in the heist.
Once authorities in New South Wales learned of the warehouse robbery in July, an investigation called Strike Force Bandit – named after Bluey’s father in the hit show – was launched.
The coins, known as Bluey Dollarbucks, have been sold at prices far exceeding their face value. On eBay, certain editions of the currency sell for more than £100 per piece.
The first iteration of collectable Bluey Dollarbucks was released by the Australian Royal Mint in June. Since then, they have caused a frenzy in the show’s native country.
In September, Australia Post’s website crashed ‘due to unprecedented demand’ for the coveted coins. Fans queued outside post offices to get their hands on them, while other outlets sold out of the gold-coloured currency.
Since the first show back in 2018, Bluey has become one of the most popular cartoons in the world. Based on a Blue Heeler puppy that embarks on adventures with her family, it first streamed on Disney+ in the UK over four years ago.
The show is made by the Australian animation company Ludo, in collaboration with BBC Studios and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
In September, it was announced that Bluey had become the most-watched series on streaming services in the US with more than 35 billion minutes watched in 2024.
Bluey has produced more than 150 episodes already and the show’s producer Sam Moor said in a BBC interview earlier this year there were ‘more surprises in store’. Moor’s comments would have relieved many fans of the show who were concerned by the ending of its most recent season.
Next month, a Bluey-themed ‘interactive experience’ is due to open in Brisbane.
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