Second Auckland man arrested after Wellington taxi driver kidnapped, forced into boot

Police earlier arrested a 24-year-old Auckland man.

A second man has been arrested following the kidnapping of a Wellington taxi driver in the Ngauranga area yesterday.

Police earlier arrested a 24-year-old Auckland man for his alleged part in assaulting a taxi driver and shoving him into the boot of the car, and now they have arrested a second person.

The 23-year-old, also an Auckland man, was arrested in Titahi Bay today.

The pair are due to appear in the Wellington District Court tomorrow morning charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding, kidnapping and arson.

Detective Sergeant Richard Gibson said the victim was parked on the Jarden Mile waiting for work about 2.30am on Wednesday when he was assaulted, forced into the boot of the taxi, and driven around the region.

The taxi went to the Hutt Valley, Porirua, and spent "quite a lot of time" in the Wellington suburb of Newlands before the victim was set free in Grenada Village a couple of hours later.

The victim was still recovering in hospital. He originally had serious injuries but is now in a stable condition.

Gibson said one of the two arrested men was caught during a search warrant, and was found with stolen items including the victim's coin dispenser, eftpos card, and cellphone.