Police are appealing for anyone who may have been a victim of motor vehicle fraud to come forward.
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A Thames man was arrested on Wednesday on a number of dishonesty charges and will appear again in court next month.
Police said they have received a number of complaints, dating from 2009 from people across the North Island alleging they have been left out-of-pocket by the man after agreements with him to buy or sell motor vehicles.
They said they are aware of incidents occurring in Auckland in April 2009, Whangarei in December 2016, New Plymouth in December 2016, Hastings in January 2017, Hamilton in May 2017, Pukekohe in July 2017 and Turua in November 2017.
They said the man particularly engaged with truck and tractor dealers and people wishing to sell vehicles for scrap metal.
He had operated under the business names of Absoloot Motors and Zhou Holdings.
Police believed not everyone who had lost money following dealings with the man had made a formal complaint.
