An Invercargill man facing 24 theft and fraud charges relating to military medals was initially employed to mount them.
Detective Constable Kerry Russell says 23 medals belonging to New Zealand returned servicemen and their families were swapped with fakes before being given back to their owners.
Inquiries were sparked by a television programme earlier this year and people who had dealt with the man had their medals checked.
A man is to appear in Invercargill District Court on Friday.
