A rider has reunited with his scooter 10 years after it was stolen.
Police Counties Manukau south response manager senior sergeant Clive Wood said officers recently spotted a youth riding a scooter which had been reported as stolen from a property in Whangārei a decade earlier.
The scooter rider told police they had recently purchased it from a seller on Facebook Marketplace.
“They were quite upset after learning the scooter was stolen so police assisted in tracking down the seller and negotiating regarding the money,” he said.
“Thankfully, the money was reimbursed to a very thankful family.”
Wood said the registered owner of the scooter had parked it behind his friend’s house in Whangārei at the time and had forgotten about it.
“He didn’t realise it was stolen and by the time he did it was too late.
“Our staff contacted the owner after locating the scooter, which came as a huge surprise to him given the length of time.
“When he picked it up from Papakura Police Station he was extremely grateful, and we were stoked to be able to return it to its rightful owner.”