(Joint Winners)

L-R: Jeremy Gunn (New Zealand Police) and Helen Shaw (Australasian Branch President, IAATI)

Our second award for Investigation of the Year recognises a team whose determination, innovation, and coordination extended well beyond their district — uncovering an international vehicle theft and export operation with links spanning from New Zealand to the UAE and beyond.

In early 2024, the Canterbury Tactical Crime Unit identified a surge in stolen Hiace vans and high-end four-wheel drives. What began as a local crime problem evolved into a complex, multi-phase investigation involving Immigration, Customs, and multiple police districts.

Through strategic planning, forensic analysis, and close inter-agency cooperation, investigators dismantled a sophisticated organised crime group responsible for exporting stolen vehicles overseas. The inquiry led to the restraint of more than six million dollars in assets — including multiple properties — and the arrest and charging of key offenders now before the courts.

This investigation exemplified innovation, collaboration, and perseverance in tackling transnational vehicle crime while maintaining frontline policing duties.

Please join me in congratulating our second Investigation of the Year winner —
New Zealand Police, Canterbury Tactical Crime Unit for Operation Mane