Victorian thieves steal 17 coffins

In a break-in that's out of the box, thieves stole 17 coffins from a Melbourne warehouse.

Two men broke into a warehouse in Braybrook on January 15, loading the caskets on to a small truck, police say.

Inspector Tony Long says it's one of the most bizarre robberies he's seen.

"I'm deadly serious, this is a weird one," he said.

Police said they haven't previously come across a black market for coffins, which are valued at a few thousand dollars each.

"If you happen to be at your local watering hole and someone sidles up to you with a `psst - do you want to buy a cheap coffin' give Crime Stoppers a call," Inspector Long said.