A 38-year-old man from South Australia's Riverland, Aijaypal Tim Sanghera, has been convicted and jailed for using stolen credit cards to purchase nearly $16,000 worth of Bunnings gift cards and merchandise.

Sanghera appeared via video link at the Berri Magistrates Court on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, where he pleaded guilty to 12 counts of dishonest dealing with property, one count of possession of a prohibited weapon, and one count of possession of a prescription drug.

Court proceedings revealed Sanghera used stolen credit card information to place 11 click and collect orders totaling 98 items at Bunnings stores in Berri, Parafield Gardens, and Edwardstown over a five-week period between April and May 2026. Among the items were 20 $500 Bunnings gift cards linked to Sanghera's Bunnings PowerPass account.

Police prosecutors stated that the stolen credit card data was likely obtained from the dark web. They also noted that individual cardholders were not financially impacted, as credit card companies reversed the transactions. However, Bunnings incurred a total loss of $15,899.65 from these transactions.

During a search of Sanghera's residence in Bookpurnong on June 10, 2026, some of the purchased items were recovered, reducing the uncompensated loss to $14,592.

The court heard that Sanghera's actions were motivated by a need to fund drug use. A court representative commented, "The problem with incarceration, it doesn't address the issues of drug addiction," highlighting the complexity of the case.

Sentencing authorities emphasized that the punishment must reflect the seriousness of the offending.

Sources

ABC Australia News