Police have raided a building in Court Street, seizing suspected stolen construction materials.

Officers from the Criminal Investigation Unit and Safer Streets team launched the operation at 3.15 p.m. on Wednesday, arriving in three Police cars, two vans and several unmarked vehicles.

A spokesman said: "Police executed a search warrant at the premises of a business on Court Street under the provisions of the Criminal Code and in relation to an ongoing investigation.

Two men are in custody assisting us with inquiries into this matter."

At 4 p.m. a white flat bed truck was towed away by Police, and forty minutes later detectives loaded up a 'Vehicle Crime Unit' truck with equipment taken from the premises.

A workmen's shelving unit, eight sheets of wood and several boxed items of bathroom furniture, including Kohler sink basins, were among the items removed.

The Police spokesman said: "This is part of an ongoing investigation into thefts from construction sites.

"We are appealing to individuals to be aware of people stealing items and selling them on, and are asking anyone working in construction to take the time to note down the serial numbers of goods and equipment."

Detectives have witnessed a rise in the illegal trade in construction materials over the past several months.

In April a stash of stolen equipment worth more than $50,000 was discovered in shipping containers across the Island.