Cambridge police constable Tristan Gerritsen and a family of victims, who did not want their names published.

A burglar cleaned out at least a dozen homes in his own neighbourhood - and even ​stole money from the piggy bank of a 10-month-old girl, police say.

The 32-year-old Cambridge man is now facing 12 charges of burglary of homes in Cambridge east in the last six months.

All of the homes were located less than a kilometre from his own.

POLICE A Michael Hill watch recovered after a search warrant in Cambridge.

He didn't use a car, instead walking the neighbourhood mostly at night, opening windows and swiping valuable goods.

Things began to unfold after the burglary of a family home on Friday night.

Victim Aimee had arrived home with her 10-month-old daughter on Sunday to find the door open and lights on.

CAMBRIDGE POLICE A load of USB sticks taken in burglaries in Cambridge.

About $11,000 worth of goods, including her partner Shayne's late father's watch, Mac laptop, PlayStation, Caltex cash cards, a wallet containing at least $200 in US currency and funds from her daughter's piggy bank.

"The first thing I noticed was the piggy bank on the kitchen bench. I knew it wasn't there when I left," she said.

"They had pulled out all of the money donated by family when my daughter was born - it's bad enough they stole from us, but from a 10-month-old baby?"

"It was pretty awful, knowing somebody had been there - our room was ransacked."

Going on the foreign cash, officers decided to visit the local money exchange.

"They went to the banks and asked if there was any US money cashed in," explained Western Waikato Police Area Commander, Inspector Naila Hassan.

There had been. The exact amount that was taken had been cashed in on Saturday morning using the burglar's own eftpos card, Hassan said.

"He wasn't very smart and used his own card at the kiosk."

At the same time, officers were informed the couple's stolen Mac had sent an email alert through the Find my iPhone app.

"They were able to identify a location where it was pinging," said Hassan.

"They went back to the bank and had a look at the footage of the person who cashed in the money."

It was the same person police believed lived at the property where the computer was emitting a signal from, Hassan said.

But that wasn't the burglar's only faux pas.

"The troops [police] went to the nearest Caltex and asked if any cash cards were exchanged.

"They said, funny that, they had."

A review of CCTV footage of the Sunday night exchange identified a second man was involved.

"Within hours after the first exchange, more cash vouchers were exchanged and it was the initial offender that had gone in and cashed the US money."

Both men were known to police.

Two thirds of the couple's stolen property was located when police executed two simultaneous search warrants at two separate properties in Cambridge on Monday, Hassan said.

"During that we found methamphetamine, and we found heaps of property at the address - they have basically cleaned out his whole house of stolen property."

Cambridge officers went back through all of the reported burglaries around the man's house, matching them with complainants.

"There's about 15 or 16 burglaries that had been committed in that area."

Police charged the man with 12 counts and Hassan said more charges were likely. The second man was charged with receiving stolen goods.

It was an exceptional piece of policing, Hassan said.

"It was a good bit of intuition, the owner being responsible, getting out there with urgency and identifying them early."

"We are doing everything we can to stop this crime happening, but we need the community to be our eyes and ears and be diligent."

Cambridge Police Constable Tristan Gerritsen, one of the officers involved, said it was hugely rewarding to be able to reunite property with its rightful owner.

"It is pretty satisfying to be able to go to these victims and say we have their property back."

"They are absolutely stoked. We have found property as far back as November, alot of the people had written off ever getting their property back."

"We have found a terrabyte hard-drive with a whole lot of family photos that are still on there."

Photographs of the recovered goods were being posted on Cambridge Police's Facebook page, he said.

"We are getting more and more people coming forward every day."

Aimee credits the local officers for returning their property.

"We were really impressed with Cambridge police. They really went above and beyond and cared about the case."

The alleged burglar is due to appear in Hamilton District Court in July.

And Hassan had a message: "If you are a burglar, you will be found, you will be charged and we will oppose bail."