20 new Honda Civic Type Rs among 45 cars stolen in $1.3 million Australian port robbery

The thieves made off with a total of 45 vehicles, 21 of which have now been recovered by local authorities

A group of thieves made off with AU$2 million (US$1.3 million) worth of shiny, brand new vehicles from a farm in Port Melbourne, Australia last week, including a haul of FL5 Honda Civic Type Rs.

The thefts took place between 3pm on October 20 and 6.30am the following morning. According to Victoria Police, two men and two women entered the property, breaching security and seizing a total of 45 unregistered vehicles. They weren’t exactly picky about their loot, going after a range of models and brands in what is one of the most brazen car thefts Melbourne has seen in years.

More: See the 2023 Honda Civic Type R in 264 photos from its Australian launch

In addition to the impressive total of twenty Civic Type Rs, the thieves also looted three Skoda Kamiqs, five Skoda Kodiaqs, a VW Golf R, three VW Tiguans, three Skoda Superbs, two Honda ZR-Vs, two GMW Tank 300s, a Honda agreementtwo Honda CR-Vs and a pair of Mercedes-Benz Sprinters. This wasn’t just a quick bite; it was a large-scale buying frenzy, with the perpetrators seemingly taking everything they wanted.

As of October 23, authorities had managed to recover 21 of the stolen vehicles, although they are keeping quiet about which specific models have been found and which are still out there.

A 32-year-old woman has also been charged for her role in the theft. She is charged with reckless driving, possession of false license plates, driving without a license and possession of 1-4 butanediol. She was found after being spotted driving one of the suspected stolen vehicles on local streets.

It is reported that the thieves gained access to the gated parking lot and then used one of the Sprinters to push aside concrete barricades. How they managed to start the cars remains a mystery, as it is unclear whether they obtained the keys or had a high-tech trick up their sleeve.

The FL5 generation Civic Type R was launched in Australia in late 2022 and had a starting price of AU$72,600 (~$47,900), making it approximately AU$12,000 (~$7,900) more expensive than its predecessor. Despite the high starting price, demand for the car was high, so much so that the first eighteen months of allocation quickly sold out.