Police say Japanese student not kidnapped

Police are playing down the three-day "kidnapping" of a Japanese student who drove gang associates to Napier before one of them allegedly stole his car and later dumped him.

International Pacific College (IPC) in Palmerston North, where the 20-year-old is a student, has said the man was kidnapped near a central bar in the city and forced to drive two men and a woman to Napier.

He was abandoned in Woodville three nights later and contacted police.

The student was robbed, assaulted and held against his will, IPC deputy dean of international studies Peter Finch said.

But investigation head Detective Sergeant Allan Mullacrane, of Dannevirke, said the man could have extricated himself from the situation on "numerous" occasions.

"We don't believe it was a kidnapping but we certainly believe it was an unlawful taking of a motor vehicle," Mr Mullacrane said.

"There were a lot of inconsistencies with what (the student) told us."

The three people alleged to be involved, and who have "gang connections", approached the student when he was by his car in central Palmerston North and "conned" him into giving them a ride, Mr Mullacrane said.

"They didn't take money, he supplied them with it."

Mr Mullacrane said the student was even visited by police when his car alarm was accidentally set off in Hawke's Bay, but he said nothing.

A man has been arrested and charged with unlawful taking of the student's car but police are not seeking the other two people involved.

Mr Mullacrane agreed the incident was bizarre and said the offender and victim both have "certain tendencies", but wouldn't elaborate.

The student is to return to Japan for the summer holidays next week.

"I hope he has learned some valuable lessons from all this," Mr Mullacrane said.

- nzpa