Alleged conman arrested trying to fly back to Australia

Daniel Erefor aka Daniel Allert aka Daniel Hannah aka Daniel Albert. Photo / Supplied

An Australian man alleged to have conned Christchurch residents out of $480,000 has been arrested at Auckland International Airport trying to fly home.

Daniel Kive Albert, also known as Daniel Erefor and Daniel Allert, has been wanted in New Zealand on charges of being a promoter making a false statement and dishonestly using a document, the former of which has a maximum 10 years' jail term.

He is alleged to to have tricked people into buying franchise opportunities for energy drink vending machines.

Albert appeared in the Manukau District Court yesterday and was granted bail without plea, on condition that he surrender his passport and report to police.

He is due back in court next week to discuss whether he can return to Australia or remain in New Zealand.

Albert is from Sydney but in 2007 is understood to have run advertisements in Christchurch newspapers advertising exclusive rights to energy drink vending machines in the South Island.

He's accused of showing the alleged victims a website for Laqu Vending Ltd and stating that he would provide all that was needed for the franchise to go ahead, including training in sales, technicians for the machines and setting up a website.

The company name was then changed to Specialised Vending Ltd.

The victims claim, in total, they handed over $480,000 to Albert for the machines.

Although 17 machines were supplied they allegedly could not carry out one of their supposed main tasks of monitoring sales in real time.

The victims allegedly discovered there was no exclusivity for sales of energy drinks through Albert's company and that anyone could buy a machine and find a location for it.

Albert was last in New Zealand in July 2008, and his company, Specialised Vending, was struck off the Companies Office register in July 2009.

His arrival into the country at the weekend alerted border officials.

He was arrested as he tried to fly out on Tuesday.