Anyone driving the road during this time and who noticed any suspicious activity, were urged to make contact with police on 105 and quote file number 220215/4486.
"We'd like to thank the public for the information we have received, which has helped piece together what happened to Mr Kareem," Smith said.
Irfan Qureshi, a spokesman for Airport Masjid and a friend of the fisherman, earlier this week said police had told them they believed his death was suspicious because the chest wounds could not have happened while he was fishing.
Qureshi said the father of four's wife and religious leaders travelled from Māngere to the fishing spot on Tuesday after he failed to turn up to a meeting in Favona.
They were greeted by police.
And a Meremere resident told the Herald this week he returned home just after 5pm to find about five police cars and police divers searching in and around the Whangamarino River.
A rescue boat from the Huntly fire brigade was also helping.
"The whole place was like ... Queen St," the neighbour said.
"They had search lights and everything. The whole place was lit up."
The neighbour said the fisherman was a regular in the area and would often turn up in the morning and fish all day, sometimes staying until sunset.
The man would often give the neighbour a friendly wave from his fishing spot near the Island Block Rd boat ramp where he also parked his car.
"It is a bit suspicious. They are looking for evidence. They haven't left since Tuesday."
The neighbour had been visited by police officers and asked about the likelihood of barbed wire being in the river to which the neighbour told them there wasn't any to his knowledge.
He said it appeared police were looking for some kind of weapon.
Another Meremere resident was returning from doing her supermarket shopping when she spotted two police cars on the Whangamarino Bridge near the Meremere turn-off on Tuesday at about 10.30pm.
