Searches in ‘areas of interest’
Police investigating the suspected murder of a father-of-two are searching a forest, not far from where he was last seen alive in Waimate more than 200 days ago.
Anaru Moana, 37, disappeared on December 20, several hours after his mother died of cancer in palliative care in Waimate.
He was last seen at her home on Mary St by his niece about 6.30am, and his phone and bank cards haven’t been seen since.
Last week, Stuff revealed police believed Moana had been killed.
The focus of their homicide investigation yesterday shifted to Kelceys Bush, a 117-hectare chunk of conservation land, 7.5 kilometres northwest of Waimate.
It was one of several ‘‘areas of interest’’ police planned to search near the town in the next few weeks, Detective Inspector Joel Syme said.
‘‘We’re focused on returning Anaru to his whā nau, who have been waiting a long time for answers.
‘‘We’re determined to find him, and hold those responsible for his disappearance to account.’’
Last week, Syme appealed for sightings of a silver 2004 Subaru Legacy in Oamaru and Waimate between December 20 and December 22. The car was set alight in a lay-by on State Highway 1, near the Waihao River, on December 22, and another vehicle was seen leaving the area, he said.
Stuff previously reported that Moana’s disappearance could be linked to an incident in Oamaru where he allegedly stole methamphetamine and cash worth tens of thousands of dollars from a Tribesmen gang-linked car parked outside The Warehouse in September.
Syme previously said investigators working the case were following strong leads.
He would not reveal why police believed Moana had been killed, or comment about the speculation surrounding the apparent drug rip-off in Oamaru.
Friends and family of Moana contacted by Stuff have declined to comment.
Moana is thought to have had links to several gangs, including the Head Hunters, which established a new South Island headquarters in Timaru last year.
Most of his family lives in the North Island.
The Tribesmen gang has recently been embroiled in a turf war centred in South Auckland with the Killer Beez, a rival that was once a close ally. There has been a series of drive-by shootings.
The Tribesmen are also a significant player in the underworld in the South Island, where they have a base in an industrial part of Christchurch.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 105 and quote file number 211223/0992.