Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Thieves left a trail of cheese in their wake after a raid on a goods train in Manawatu.

Police were alerted by a rail worker who spotted people running across the tracks and loading boxes from the stationary train into a vehicle near the town of Halcombe, at about 7.30am on Wednesday.

They say as he followed the car, boxes of cheese were thrown on to the road.

Eight boxes containing 20 1kg blocks of vacuum-packed cheddar were recovered. Another four boxes were spotted by a train driver a short time later.

When the train arrived in Auckland, five containers were found to have been broken into.

Shortly after the incident, police stopped a vehicle with two people inside at Sanson, near Feilding.

They say a Marton woman, 23, has been charged with burglary, receiving stolen goods, possession of a Class A and B drug and possession of drug utensils.

A Hunterville man, 21, has been charged with burglary, receiving stolen goods, possession of a Class B drug and permitting a vehicle to be used for an offence against the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Both were bailed to appear at Feilding District Court on 16 November.

Police are asking anyone who has any information about the theft, saw suspicious activity around the train, or finds boxes of cheese along the railway line to ring the Feilding station.

Listen to Sergeant Mike Lawton on Checkpoint