One minute, two burglary suspects were reportedly joyriding on a rural metal road south of Kaitaia aboard an allegedly stolen quad bike.
Next minute, one was in police custody and the other was on the run, across farm land and disappearing into trees.
Armed local police were deployed to at least two sites on Te Rore Rd, off SH1 at Victoria Valley, late on Tuesday morning. A dog and handler was dispatched from Kerikeri. A police spokesman said news of the dog's arrival was all that had been needed for the fugitive to surrender.
Neither of the arrested men was armed or dangerous and both were apprehended without difficulty.
Later in the day, a 17-year-old youth was charged with the burglary of an address at Honeymoon Valley (where the quad bike was stolen), and a 23-year-old man was charged with receiving. Detective Sergeant Trevor Beatson said inquiries were continuing and both were expected to face several further charges.
Far North area prevention manager Senior Sergeant Chris McLellan said the teenager was believed to have been involved in a spate of offending in the Takahue, Victoria Valley and Honeymoon Valley areas. Both were to appear in the Kaitaia District Court yesterday.
Detective Sergeant Beatson said police had recovered a quantity of property believed to have been stolen from boats at Unahi. Anyone who had lost property in that location was asked to contact Constable Jared Vivian on (09) 408-6500.
Inquiries prompted by a spate of burglaries, residential and commercial, in Kaitaia's North Rd area resulted in two arrests on Tuesday.
An 18-year-old man was charged with cultivating cannabis and a second man, from another address, with one count of burglary. He was remanded in custody later in the day and is expected to face further charges when inquiries have been completed.
Senior Sergeant McLellan said police were still looking for the property, including expensive dive gear, from the burglaries, which they believed had been fenced.
He and Detective Sergeant Beatson also expressed their gratitude for the public support they had received.
"It was information from the community that led to the arrest in Kaitaia," Senior Sergeant McLellan said.
"That arrest and the two at Te Rore Road were very good wins for Kaitaia. Without public help our job would have been much harder."
Detective Sergeant Beatson said the Te Rore Road incident had been a classic case of the community looking after the community, neighbour looking after neighbour.
"People were concerned, they contacted us, and two suspected offenders were locked up," he said.
"Without public assistance that probably wouldn't have happened."