A concerned resident is asking the community to help locate her nephew’s XR 125 black and red clutch motorbike with licence plate #ABB936. The motorcycle was stolen from their home early yesterday morning.

Layhaina Tarerea Mataiti was shocked and infuriated to discover that her nephew, Derek Clifford’s prized 21^st birthday clutch bike that was purchased in April this year, was stolen from their garage in Kiikii, Tupapa.

“Those thieves must have had a truck to steal the bike, it was locked and we have the keys,” said Mataiti.

She said it was unusual that their dogs didn’t bark that night or early that morning until she discovered an empty packet of chicken frankfurters in her yard near the main road.

“I’m sure the thieves fed my dogs so they wouldn’t bark. The audacity of them. Bribing my dogs.”

Mataiti said her nephew, who is presently in Australia on a well-deserved holiday break, was extremely upset to hear his bike was gone.

“When he gets back, he’ll have no bike and he needs it to get to work,” she said.

“Someone must know something and who has the bike and I’m sure it must be stripped by now and being repainted.”

Mataiti has reported the theft to Cook Islands Police.

Police have earlier stated that they suspect motorbikes stolen in Rarotonga were part of an organised unlawful activity.

Police were also receiving incident reports of locked bikes being taken away which can mean that they’re getting picked up and transported or very skilfully unlocked and hotwired.

In June this year, there were seven reported cases of stolen motorbikes. That figure dropped by half for July. In May, police recorded 15 reports, and 16 in April.

In May, only five motorbikes were found, and one of those was a recovered stolen bike.

Police previously stated that reports indicated a low recovery rate for stolen motorbikes, with less than a 50 per cent chance.