While carrying out an arson inquiry police came across a large number of stolen vehicles on a property at Pipiwai.
Detective Constable Shawn Parker said events unfolded when a pig hunter went into the bush off Lovatt Road early on Sunday morning. As he was heading back to his truck after a couple of hours hunting he heard some loud booming noises as if a gun was going off. However, as he got closer to his truck he realised the booming noises were coming from a fire that had engulfed the truck.
The Fire Service and Police were called. Police officers from Kaikohe attended and began visiting properties in the area to see if they could locate any witnesses to the fire. During these inquiries they came across a property about 3km along Lovatt Road and noticed a vehicle with no number plates.
Mr Parker said further searching of the property revealed a large number of vehicles that turned out to have been stolen.
Officers found: four Nissan Skyline cars; a Nissan Condor flatbed truck and Yanmar digger that had been stolen from a burglary in Kaikohe in 2014; and a Holden Rodeo 4WD stolen from Ruakaka earlier this year.
The following day CIB staff from Kerikeri and Kaikohe went back to locate the owner of the property, but he wasn’t there. After a further search of the property police found: a New Holland tractor worth about $70,000 that had been stolen from Kaikohe last year and was brand new at the time; another Nissan Skyline; a Honda Foreman quad bike stolen from a farm at Ruatangata; the parts and body shell of a Toyota V8 Celsior; and a 1993 Honda Accord that had been stripped of its suspension and other parts.
A 23-year-old man was subsequently arrested and charged with theft. He appeared in the Kaikohe District Court yesterday and has been remanded on bail.
Mr Parker said the total value of the stolen vehicles was about $190,000 and thorough work by all police staff involved in the inquiry has led to a good result, particularly for the people who have been victims of the activities of this “chop shop”.
Police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the arson of the truck on Lovatt Road, which they believed occurred sometime between 10.30am and 12pm.
They would also like to hear from anyone who witnessed the comings and goings of vehicles, particularly Nissan Skylines, along Lovatt Road in the last few months.
Anyone with information can call the Kaikohe CIB on 09 405 2960 or if they want to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
For media inquiries contact Northland Police Communications Manager Sarah Kennett on 09 945 4650 or 021 192 1099