Three people have been arrested in Wellington after being stopped by police with a car full of allegedly shoplifted meat.

About $1000 of meat was found in the vehicle and the three occupants, an 18-year-old man from Lower Hutt and two young people, were arrested.

All three were charged with shoplifting offences and are due to appear in Wellington Youth Court today.

Police had been notified at the weekend of separate instances at supermarkets in Island Bay and Crofton Downs where premium cuts of meat were taken.

A vehicle of interest was spotted travelling north from Wellington and was stopped without issue in Lower Hutt.

Prime cuts of beef, pork and lamb appear to have been recovered, including at least eight T-bone steaks, two pork shoulder roasts, three pork leg roasts and five legs of lamb.

The meat was discovered when a vehicle was stopped in Lower Hutt.

Photos supplied by police show more than 35 packs of beef, including T-bone steaks starting from $25.

The highest priced beef items appear to be more than $50.

One of the legs of lamb was more than $70.

“These were targeted thefts of high-value items, no doubt destined to be on-sold,” said Wellington area prevention manager Inspector Jason McCarthy.

“We won’t tolerate this type of offending and are working hard to hold those committing retail crime to account.”

Police have made several arrests related to meat thefts in recent years, including one woman who was charged with stealing $14,500 worth from a catering company in 2022.

Elyse Elizabeth Wilson was found to have stolen the meat from her previous employer in Otago and sentenced to six months’ home detention.

Police also arrested a man in December 2024 for stealing more than $1000 worth of meat from a single supermarket in Auckland.