Police closing in on Auckland motel attackers

Police are closing in on a group of people who are alleged to have left a man tied, beaten and gagged in an Auckland motel.

A Tauranga family were left shocked after watching a man - who was bound and gagged - come out of his Rayland Epsom Motel room and ask them to call for police early on Sunday morning.

Police have confirmed the man suffered a variety of injuries and that his car and phone had been stolen.

They have been seeking four offenders - three women and a large Polynesian man - over the incident.

Police today confirmed that they have identified two people and are closing in on two others.

"Police are focusing their attention on two persons of interest and following positive lines of inquiry to find the other two people," a spokesman said.

A Tauranga woman told Fairfax that she and her family were sitting outside on their balcony when they saw the man appear.

"He had a cut above his eye and it looked like he had been beaten. We went into shock and started shaking. Not something we wanted to see on our holiday."

The woman called police who arrived with St John at about 9.30am on Sunday.

The woman said they had not noticed anything suspicious before they saw the man.

"We heard some banging late at night and we didn't think anything was wrong when we saw two women get into the car.

"But he seemed really angry that his car had been stolen."

Police are appealing for sightings of the car - a grey Audi 3.0 Quattro Saloon, registration HZM895.

If you have information which may assist the police investigation into this incident, please call Auckland Crime Squad on 09 302 6557.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.