Shoppers contacted the police after spotting an opportunistic pair stealing from a charity bin outside a Perth supermarket.
Lithuanian nationals Tomas Kochanskis and Tomas Markevicius struck at the sealed Salvation Army collection point in the car park at the Tesco store on Crieff Road shortly before midnight on August 25 last year making off with 25 bags of clothes.
The men reportedly hatched the plan after spending time working for a firm which is officially contracted to empty such lock-fast bins for a number of charities.
After loading their van, the friends, who live together in West Calder, made their way back into Perth, depute fiscal Carol Whyte told Perth Sheriff Court on Monday.
Their journey was cut short when they spotted the blue light of an approaching police car.
Ms Whyte told the court that officers recovered items including a torch, a bolt clamp, an adjustable spanner and a ratchet spanner.
”Members of the public became suspicious when they saw a number of pink, white and black bags lying beside a van,” Ms Whyte said. ”They continued to the cash machine but on their return noticed that all the bags had been loaded into the back of the van.
”They contacted police and provided details of the registration number. Local CCTV operators were able to follow the vehicle through the town before it was stopped. The accused Kochanskis was driving and Markevicius was the front seat passenger.”
Both were taken to Western Division police HQ at Barrack Street, Perth, where they made no reply to caution or charge.
Kochanskis spent five weeks in custody following the incident.
Solicitor Paul Ralph represented both men.
He told the court: ”Both gentlemen say they worked for a company which was legitimately doing this kind of thing and they hit upon this sideline as a way of making extra money. They now accept it was wrong.”
Sentence was deferred until February 29 for reports.