Police are suspecting that motorbikes that have been stolen in Rarotonga are part of an organised unlawful activity.

This comes after police received another report of a stolen motorbike during the long weekend.

Police media/strategic advisor Pitt says they are getting incident reports of locked bikes being taken away.

“Which can mean they’re getting picked up and transported. Or very skilfully unlocked and hotwired,” Pitt said.

Last month, Isaac Solomona, a resident of Rarotonga, also suspected an organised crime and a group of people were behind the recent spate of motorbike thefts. His niece’s motorbike had been stolen from her Punamaia home garage last month.

Solomona said the recent incident had affected the family and appealed to those behind this “organised crime” to do the right thing and return the bike to them.

April recorded the highest number of reported stolen motorbikes in more than six years, police had earlier said.

The number of motorbikes reported unlawfully taken during the month was 16. The next monthly high was 15, back in September 2018.

Earlier in May, a juvenile who was known to police was suspected of stealing a motorbike from Club Raro and later abandoned it at Terevete Park.

Police had said that stolen bikes are less likely to be recovered. Pitt earlier said the recovery rate of unlawfully taken bikes is less than 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, over the long weekend, Pitt said there were three motor vehicle crashes reported between late Friday and Monday.  

Police also received one reported dog attack, noise complaint, and one curfew breach from a juvenile offender.