Four held over card thefts

Four Romanian nationals who arrived in New Zealand over the past two months have been charged with theft and fraud following a spate of pickpocketing.

The three men and a woman did not enter pleas when they appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday.

Tony Costache, 36, Costica Bursuc, 34, Nagie Cerchez, 40, and Denis Cerchez, 18, were remanded in custody for two weeks.

They are jointly charged with participating in an organised criminal group, theft of credit and ATM cards, and using them with intent to obtain money.

Police said the group was arrested in Mangere following investigations into reports of a series of pickpocket-style thefts around the Auckland region over the past few weeks.

The Herald last week reported that police had received numerous complaints from people whose ATM cards were stolen and then used to take money from accounts.