Revealed: Inside story of mystery police motorcade circling Auckland

A motorcade fit for the highest ranking foreign dignitary has been snaking around the Super City on Thursday - and it's left Aucklanders baffled.

The procession features a police motorbike at its head, along with BMWs resembling Crown cars used by MPs, police four-wheel-drives similar to those used by the Special Tactics Group, and marked patrol cars.

It was spotted by a Herald reporter at about 9am, moving down Mayoral Dr.

A police motorbike rider shot forward from the motorcade into the Vincent St intersection to block traffic and warn motorists of the incoming procession.

The mystery motorcade heads down Mayoral Dr in the central city. Photo / NZ Herald

Around the same time, Sky Sport NZ commentator and Samoa International Rugby and Sevens representative Taylah Johnson took to Twitter to announce the motorcade had been spotted down the road in Newmarket.

She also saw it on the motorway yesterday, she said.

"Who is the VIP rolling through Auckland with a full police motorcade?" asked Johnson.

"Blocking all three motorway lanes yesterday with 6 cars & 4 bikes, and same again today rolling through Mountain road in Newmarket."

Some Twitter users speculated it could be the Premier of Niue Dalton Tagelagi, who is in the country currently, while others wondered if it was Irish rugby star Peter O'Mahony.

The procession featured Toyota four-wheel-drives resembling those employed by the police Special Tactics Group. Photo / Supplied

However, a police spokeswoman said the answer was more mundane.

"We understand this was a training exercise," she said.