Boatie calls police then chases after stolen craft

The stolen dinghies after they were towed back to Opua. Photo / Supplie

Police nabbed an alleged boat thief as he tried to tow four stolen dinghies up the Kawakawa River with another boatie in hot pursuit.

Police were called to Opua on Friday morning by a member of the public who reported someone had taken four dinghies from a storage area and was towing them up the river.

The informant then got into a boat and followed the suspect from Opua Marina while Kawakawa police set off to intercept the small flotilla by road.

Sergeant Kevin Milne said the man was located at Karetu Rd just downstream of the SH11 bridge at Taumarere.

The 28-year-old from Moerewa was arrested and bailed until his next appearance in the Kaikohe District Court on December 18.

The dinghies were towed back to Opua. A stolen outboard motor was also returned and police were making inquiries about items found in the dinghies. A second outboard motor, a paddleboard and a bicycle were recovered, some during a search of the man's home in Moerewa. Efforts to identify whether he was the legitimate owner were continuing, Mr Milne said.

Anyone missing any of those items - the outboard is a Yamaha, the bike a blue Milazo Frenzy - should contact the Kawakawa police station.