Fire leads cops to chop shop

One of the stolen Nissan Skylines found at a rural Northland property where police believe a "chop shop" was operating. Photo / Supplied

Stolen vehicles worth $190,000 have been discovered in scrub at a rural Northland home after police were called to investigate an arson.

A new tractor and a digger were among vehicles seized by police when they came across a rustic style "chop shop" on Lovatt Rd, Pipiwai, 43km north-west of Whangarei, on Sunday.

A "chop shop" is where stolen vehicles are dismantled and the parts can be sold or used to repair other stolen vehicles.

At least 10 vehicles were found plus another couple stripped of parts in the scrub around a family home.

Police made the discovery after they were called to a suspicious vehicle fire nearby.

Detective Constable Shawn Parker said events unfolded when a pig hunter went into bush off Lovatt Rd about 6.30pm on Sunday.

After a couple of hours the hunter headed back to his truck when he heard loud booming, as if a gun was being fired.

However, as he got closer to his truck he realised the booming noises were coming from a fire that had engulfed the truck.

The Fire Service and police were called, with officers visiting properties in the area to see if they could find witnesses to the fire.

Mr Parker said it was during these investigations for the arson they came across a property on Lovatt Rd where they noticed a vehicle with no number plates.

As officers kept searching they discovered a large number of stolen vehicles.

Four Nissan Skyline cars were found with a Nissan Condor flatbed truck and Yanmar digger, valued at $27,600, believed to have been stolen from a burglary in Kaikohe in 2014 and a Holden Rodeo 4WD stolen from Ruakaka earlier this year. A $7000 2001 BMW road bike was also found.

When police went back to the property on Monday they could not locate the owner but after a second search found a New Holland tractor worth about $70,000, thought to have been stolen from Kaikohe last year, another Nissan Skyline, a Honda Foreman quad bike stolen from a farm at Ruatangata, the parts and body shell of a Toyota V8 Celsior and a 1993 Honda Accord which was stripped of its suspension and other parts.

"The total value of the stolen vehicles is about $190,000 and thorough work by all police staff involved in the inquiry has led to a good result, particularly for the people who have been victims of the activities of this 'chop shop',' Mr Parker said.

Police are not sure if the arson and the stolen vehicles are linked.

A 23-year-old Tikipunga man was arrested and appeared in the Kaikohe District Court on Tuesday on 10 charges of theft. He has been remanded on bail to reappear again in Kaikohe on December 2.

Northland car club vice-president Steve Hart said the Nissan Skyline cars were targeted as they were easily converted into very powerful cars for drifting.

"They are sought after engines and car parts that are used to soup up drifting cars."

The latest police monthly statistical indicators show there were 89 cars reported stolen throughout Northland in September, compared to 61 in September 2014.

Police want to hear from anyone who witnessed the arson of the truck on Lovatt Rd, which they believed occurred some time between 10.30am and 12pm.

They would also like to hear from anyone who witnessed the comings and goings of vehicles, particularly Nissan Skylines, along Lovatt Rd in the last few months.

Call Kaikohe CIB on 09 405 2960 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.