A man who allegedly stole more than $200,000 worth of jewellery, mainly from residential homes, across the Nelson Bays and Tasman area was arrested by police yesterday.
Police say Christopher Payne, 38, was located late yesterday afternoon in Tötara Flats, near Greymouth, after being spotted by a passing Police patrol car around 2.30pm.
After spotting a car that was recognised as one used in a burglary in Motueka in the early hours of Friday May 25, Police followed the car before the driver pulled over.
Two men then fled from the car on foot onto a rural property. A police dog team located them on the rural property and the pair were arrested.
Police say that Payne was wanted on four warrants for 19 burglaries in the Nelson Bays area since January, in which more than $200,000 jewellery was taken.
He also faces two drugs related charges.
The driver of the car, Daniel Taaffe, had a warrant for arrest in April for breaching his conditions.
Yesterday 36-year-old Taaffe was charged with four counts of burglary in May – two in Nelson Bays, one in Greymouth and another in Hokitika, as well as failing to stop and dangerous driving.
"The jewellery stolen by Payne included items of great sentimental value, some of which had belonged to victims' deceased family members," says Sergeant Dale Smith of the Nelson Bays Tactical Crime Unit.
"The burglaries have had a huge impact on people who have lost items they may never see again, and victims have been appreciative of the work done by police."
A lot of the jewellery has not been recovered. Payne is due to appear in the Greymouth District Court on June 13 and Taaffe is due to appear in Christchurch District Court on June 18.
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