Cyclone Gabrielle: Three uncontactable people on active charges, police say ‘no serious concerns’ for their welfare

Three of the people who are uncontactable after Cyclone Gabrielle are facing charges for breaking the law, police say.

Two of those people are wanted for arrest for breaching bail conditions.

Police said this afternoon there were now five people who were uncontactable following the cyclone two weeks ago.

Earlier today, the number was four but police received another report following a statement this morning.

“Police have made significant inquiries to locate the remaining four uncontactable people, one from Tairāwhiti and three from Hawke’s Bay,” Eastern District Commander Superintendent Jeanette Park said this afternoon.

“While we have been unable to do so previously, we can now confirm that we do not have serious concerns for their welfare.”

Park said three were on active charges and two of them were wanted for breaching bail conditions before the cyclone.

They may be reluctant to engage with authorities, she said.

The fourth person on the list had not lived at their listed address for several years.

“This has been a mammoth effort by more than 100 police staff, who worked on matching and verifying people reported as uncontactable, with those reported safe or found,” Park said.

“Additionally, more than 70 officers conducted visits at homes, alternative accommodation, evacuation centres and other locations.”

In addition to these five people, police said they were also making inquiries into the whereabouts of Joseph Ahuriri, 40, from Gisborne.

Previously reported as uncontactable, he was currently being treated as a missing person, Park said.

“While Joseph has had no contact with family or police since the cyclone, inquiries to date suggest it is unlikely that his disappearance is cyclone-related, although this cannot be fully ruled out.”

She added: “We urge Joseph, or anyone who has seen him since 13/14 February, to please get in touch with police so we can let his family know he is safe.”

Ahuriri’s partner, Clarissa Poi, said a week ago that she had not heard from the father-of-eight since the cyclone.

“It’s been seven days since I last spoke with him and my heart breaks every minute that passes,” Poi told the Herald.

“I have to return home to our kids who are just as worried and I can’t bear to look at them and say I didn’t find daddy,” she said.

The update comes a fortnight after the storm lashed the country, killing nine people across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti and two firefighters in Muriwai, West Auckland.

In the latest update on police operations across the storm-hit region, the police said that in the 24 hours to 7pm yesterday officers had conducted 502 prevention activities, including reassurance patrols and proactive engagements with communities.

Over the same period, police said they received 492 calls for service, including 10 reports of burglaries, four involving the unlawful taking of motor vehicles, and 54 family harm incidents.

There had been 25 people - 13 in Hawke’s Bay and 12 in Tairāwhiti - arrested for a variety of offences, including serious assault, destruction of property, disorder and theft.

Initially, police held grave fears for up to 10 people they believed may have perished in the storm.

A week ago more than 4500 people were listed as not being able to be contacted by friends, neighbours or family, a week after the cyclone devastated parts of the eastern coastline.

Sea and river searches were mounted to look for those feared washed away in the floods.

By the end of last week the number of those believed missing had been whittled down to 23.

Over the weekend it reduced further to eight with an announcement earlier today that there were just four people unaccounted for.