Gang links in fraud case

Three people linked to the Head Hunters gang have been arrested — it is alleged they took more than $500,000 in fraudulent loans. Police said they carried out five search warrants in Auckland, Hamilton and Northland this week in connection with the case. They said a key player in the scheme had scammed six finance companies into offering loans to buy cars since 2017. Detective Senior Sergeant Kevan Verry said the offending would have had a financial impact on the defrauded companies. A 30-year-old woman is facing 22 fraud charges, while two other people, aged 28 and 34, face several charges of assisting her. Three vehicles and two Northland properties were seized during the operation. Police said the investigation is continuing and they cannot rule out further arrests.