KEY POINTS:
New Zealand police have joined American authorities in the hunt for two men, thought to be Queenstown residents, who allegedly stole flags flying at half-mast for a soldier killed in Iraq.
But police in Queenstown say the motivation is not to find the British pair to charge them, but rather to recover the flags that hold great sentimental value for the Americans.
Police in Jackson, Wyoming, are seeking travellers Daniel Jones and Tom Knapp after getting tips via the You Tube website that the pair were responsible for the thefts in their town.
An American flag and a Wyoming flag were flying at half-mast outside the Jackson courthouse on March 20 to acknowledge the funeral of a soldier from Evanston, Wyoming, who died in Iraq.
Surveillance footage showing two men taking the flags was posted on You Tube, and as a result police got information pointing them to the two men as suspects, the Jackson Hole News and Guide reported.
Jackson police had tried to trace Mr Knapp through his MySpace webpage, but believe he and Mr Jones had returned to Queenstown, where they were thought to be living.
Detective Sergeant Grahme Bartlett, of the Queenstown police, said a Herald article on the thefts today had prompted him to contact the Jackson police chief and offer their help. The chief was unaware the case had got international attention, but was "exceptionally thankful" for the assistance, Mr Bartlett said.
"There is a high probability the people involved weren't aware of the significance of the flags. The police chief has actually said to me was "we would like to recover the flags, and at the most receive an apology".
Initial inquiries indicated both men had lived in Queenstown, but their current whereabouts was still to be established, Mr Bartlett said.
