Up to five cars were broken into around Paihia in a crime spree halted by a vigilant local who reported a suspicious car's registration plate.
Sergeant Peter Masters, of Paihia police, said the break-ins occurred on Sunday and targeted mostly tourists' vehicles.
A Paihia resident made note of a registration plate which led police to a Kaikohe address where some property was recovered and a number of arrests were made.
Mr Masters said crime targeting visitors did "untold damage" to the town's tourist-dependent economy. "More often than not it's people coming into town who are doing the offending.
Locals need to be aware of that and front-foot the problem by taking note of vehicle registration plates and bringing it to our attention."