Odometer fraud case hits court

Police have launched a civil court case against an alleged crime syndicate and claim hundreds of vehicles with “clocked” odometers have been imported from Japan in recent years.

The action in the High Court at Auckland alleges the syndicate, with members in New Zealand and Japan, imported 303 vehicles between March 2020 and March 2024, reports the NZ Herald.

At least 252 of those units had altered odometers and forged export certificates, the court was told.

The civil action by police, which has arisen after they tried to locate dozens of missing ignition keys and an unregistered Nissan Atlas truck, has been taken against three people and two Auckland-based companies.

It follows a Customs and NZTA investigation last year that found an Auckland-based businessman had allegedly imported 133 second-hand vehicles from Japan with understated odometer readings and using falsified documents.

Customs confirmed a man and a company named in the civil action were also involved in the criminal case, reports the NZ Herald.

The man faces two charges of importing prohibited goods, eight charges of forgery, and eight charges of dishonestly using a document. A trial has been scheduled for October 2026.