The Armed Offenders Squad is hunting for two men wanted in connection with the death of a man whose body was found dumped in a garage in New Plymouth.
A homicide investigation was launched after the body of Dean Stuart Browne, 38, was found at the Drake Street property on Friday night.
The Armed Offenders Squad spent several hours on Sunday evening searching for two men the police believe have gone to ground somewhere south of New Plymouth.
Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward says they suspect the men are armed.
He won't reveal the nature of the men's connection to the homicide investigation.
Mr Coward says the police are making steady progress with the investigation.
But he says they still want to know how and why Dean Browne, who they believe was living in Auckland, came to be in New Plymouth.
A post-mortem has been carried out but the police won't say how Mr Browne died.
