Stolen jewellery set for NZ auction

Stolen jewellery found on a Romanian couple who went on a crime spree through the North Island last year is to be auctioned off at the end of this month.

Ioan and Paulina Kvec were sentenced in Palmerston North District Court in June last year to 16 months prison for a number of theft and shoplifting offences. They have since been deported back to Romania.

They had entered the country early last year and travelled the North Island stealing from jewellers and banks.

They were caught when police stopped them for speeding in Bulls and found a significant amount of jewellery and cash.

Some of the jewellery was returned but items worth almost $18,000 remained unclaimed and the couple could not prove they owned them.

A police application under the Policing Act to auction it off has been granted.

The auction will be at Turners in Palmerston North on November 26 with a viewing the day before.

- NZPA