An alleged fraud offender's numbers were up after he was caught up with by a late-night patrol.
The Auckland City Beat Team were assisting with mobile patrolling in the Mount Albert area this morning, when they came across a vehicle of interest.
Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews, of Auckland City CIB, says the vehicle was travelling on St Lukes Road just before 1am.
"The vehicle's registered owner was sought in connection with a fraud case, and so the unit carried out a traffic stop.
"Beat staff confirmed the driver's identity was the same as the man sought by Police."
In March last year, an elderly victim in the Far North had allegedly fallen victim to a phone scam, with the caller pertaining to be from a bank's fraud team.
Detective Senior Sergeant Matthews says all up $15,600 had been taken from her account.
Police were contacted after the bank's real fraud team had alerted the victim.
Initial enquiries began by Mid/Far North CIB into the case, later identifying a person of interest.
Meanwhile, nearly a year later, the 23-year-old west Auckland man was arrested on the roadside early this morning.
Beat staff handed him over to Auckland City detectives and he was subsequently charged with money laundering and receiving property over $1000.
He will appear in the Auckland District Court on 4 March 2026.
"It's a great catch by our Beat Team patrolling on night shift, and we acknowledge all the groundwork carried out by our colleagues in the Mid/Far North CIB," Detective Senior Sergeant Matthews says.
