Asylum seekers accused of picking pockets while on day leave

A suspected Romanian pickpocket gang seeking asylum in New Zealand is said to have targeted their victims while on day leave from a government-funded refugee centre.

The four people came to New Zealand on false passports seeking asylum two months before they were caught.

Nagie Cerchez, 40, Denis Cerchez, 18, Costica Bursuc, 24, and Tony Costache, 36, were remanded in custody yesterday when they appeared in the Auckland District Court before Judge Anne Kiernan.

They each face 29 charges of obtaining eftpos and credit cards, 28 charges of using eftpos or credit cards to obtain pecuniary advantage and one charge each of participating in an organised criminal group.

The four arrived in the country in October last year seeking asylum, and had been living at the Refugee and Migrant Centre in Mangere.

Police arrested them in December after a spate of pickpocket style thefts around Auckland.

The four are alleged to have stolen wallets, taking credit and eftpos cards and stripping thousands of dollars from bank accounts.

The group allegedly worked together - one looking over shoppers' shoulders as they used their eftpos cards and stalking victims until they had a clear shot at their wallet.

The centre's acting manager, Qemajl Maurati, said the accused had been granted day leave, which is given to most residents at the centre, so they could do things such as going shopping and visiting the library.

A Department of Labour spokesperson said it could not talk about the case as it could influence the outcome of the immigration applications.

The accused will appear in court again next month for a pre-depositions hearing.