KEY POINTS:
Police have arrested two men over the abduction and robbery of two Dutch tourists in the Far North this month but say further charges are likely.
Two men, aged 27 and 29, face charges of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, abduction and serious sexual assault in relation to the attack on the young honeymooning couple on November 10.
They were arrested yesterday and will appear in Kaikohe District Court this afternoon.
Northland crime manager Detective Inspector Mike Pannett told journalists investigations into the pair would go beyond the incident with the tourists.
Police were also looking at charging others for assisting, aiding and abetting the abduction.
The 27-year-old was arrested on a farm north of Okaihau, 34km northwest of Kawakawa, and the 29-year-old man while travelling on State Highway 10, south of Kerikeri.
The arrests took place without incident, Mr Pannett said.
Mr Pannett described the men as having connections with Northland families and known to a lot of Northland locals, but said they had not lived locally for a long time.
They knew the geography and the roads of the area well, he said.
The honeymooning couple were kidnapped late on November 10 as they prepared to go to bed in their campervan at the picturesque Haruru Falls, near Paihia.
They were driven around for several hours by their two attackers, during which time the woman was sexually assaulted in front of her husband.
The couple were eventually dumped at the tiny farming community of Towai, 18km southeast of Kawakawa.
Mr Pannett said police believed they had recovered the shotgun used in the abduction.
Far North Victim Support co-ordinator Marienne Rogers said the Dutch couple were relieved with the arrests, doing well, and bearing up.
She said they did not blame the people of New Zealand for what happened.
She would not say where the couple were, or for how long they planned to remain in New Zealand.
Mr Pannett said the kidnapping was an isolated crime "not something we see in this area".
Crime against tourists was a big concern to police, he said.
He earlier thanked the public for providing information to police investigating the case.
"During this inquiry police have received literally hundreds of phone calls from across New Zealand, firstly offering support to the victims and providing information that has allowed police to resolve this case."
- NZPA
