A search of the suspects and their vehicle recovered the listed items, underscoring the scale of the operation.

Both men are expected to appear at Bail Division Court on Thursday as the investigation continues.

Police have released CCTV footage and are seeking two additional men believed involved in the thefts, asking the public to come forward to assist investigations.

During the investigation, police seized about $6,000 in cash, vehicle wires, international passports, phones, a Toughbook laptop, and money-transfer receipts from the suspects’ car.

Two men, aged 37 and 57, have been charged in New South Wales after allegedly scamming 18 elderly women out of more than $50,000 in shopping-centre car parks across the state, by posing as car inspectors to distract victims while a third man allegedly steals wallets and other valuables from inside the vehicles.

Members of the public with information are urged to contact authorities to aid the inquiry.

The men have been refused bail, and police continue to pursue two more suspects as part of the investigation.

The two Romanian nationals, on tourist visas since December 28, face a total of 72 offences each, including fraud, theft, and entering a vehicle without consent.

Police released descriptions of two more men sought for information: Man A, a Caucasian in his 40s with a solid build, wearing a white-and-black checkered shirt and a black hat with a white graphic; Man B, a Caucasian in his 40s with a medium build, wearing a white-sleeved shirt, black shorts, black shoes with white soles, a blue face mask, and a black hat with a white graphic.

The alleged incidents spanned multiple NSW locations, including Sydney suburbs and regional centres such as Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn, Penrith, and others, with offences occurring from early January across 18 locations.

The modus operandi involved one man distracting drivers by asking them to raise the bonnet to address a supposed car issue, while another stole wallets, purses, cash, and cards from inside the vehicle.