Global hunt for boat fraud suspect

An arrest warrant has been issued for international fugitive Mark Norfolk. Photo / Supplied

An international fugitive at the centre of a global manhunt involving a $270,000 yacht, a Mediterranean holiday and a Mercedes-Benz sportscar has fled the criminal charges he was facing in New Zealand.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Mark Norfolk, who failed to appear in the Auckland District Court last week in connection with four charges of money-laundering a total of $160,000.

His passport had been surrendered to the court but police believe the 56-year-old has escaped New Zealand with fake travel documents back to the United Kingdom.

The Englishman was considered a flight risk by police but he was granted bail to his former partner's North Shore home.

Detective Stephen Peat told the Weekend Herald Norfolk had left her a note on April 3 saying he was moving out and has not been seen since.

"We have his passport but I believe he has left New Zealand under another name. We're very interested in finding him."

UK police have been notified of Norfolk's escape.

The tale began in May 2006, when Norfolk set sail from Hull, England, in his 13m yacht Imagination Boston, making landfall a couple of times before mooring at Ramsgate.

He joined friends on another boat, sailing round France and Spain, before reporting his yacht stolen on his return to Ramsgate a month later.

Norfolk received a $270,000 insurance payout in October 2006 but six months later the yacht was spotted off the coast of the Greek island of Leros, and had been renamed after his former partner.

British insurance investigators found the boat was registered to a Mr Mackintosh - an alias for Norfolk - and Greek police arrested him.

At the time of the arrest, Norfolk transferred $160,000 of the insurance money to a Bank of New Zealand account.

He was later convicted of insurance fraud in Greece in 2006 and sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years for good behaviour.

Norfolk appealed against the conviction and moved to New Zealand where he bought another yacht, called "Shara-lee", and a Mercedes-Benz, allegedly using insurance money from the "stolen" yacht.

After receiving an Interpol alert, New Zealand police laid the money-laundering charges when he was arrested at Auckland International Airport last April trying to leave the country.

THE GLOBAL SEARCH

May 2006: Mark Norfolk (below) sailed his yacht Imagination Boston from Hull to Ramsgate, England.
June 2006: Joined friends on another yacht, sailed around France and Spain before returning to Britain to report the boat stolen from Ramsgate.
October 2006: Paid out $270,000 by insurance company.
April 2007: Yacht spotted off the coast of Leros, Greece, renamed Fiona Jane.
May 2007: Insurance investigators confirm boat is the same. Norfolk arrested by Greek police and given 18-month suspended sentence.
May 2007: Transferred $160,000 to Bank of New Zealand account, allegedly money from the insurance payout.
June 2007: Left Greece and flew to New Zealand, where he bought a $120,000 yacht and Mercedes Benz.
April 2008: Arrested by Auckland police and charged with four counts of money-laundering.
April 2009: Fails to appear in Auckland District Court for a sentence indication. Police believe Norfolk has fled to Britain on a fake passport.