
New Zealand police arrest woman after bus driver discovers two-year-old girl hidden in suitcase
Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said the woman had been charged with ill-treatment and neglect of a child.
Police were called to a bus depot in Kaiwaka — 100 kilometres north of Auckland — after the bus driver became concerned about a bag moving during a scheduled stop.
'When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the two-year-old girl,' Harrison said.
'The little girl was reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed.'
The luggage had been stored beneath the bus passengers, in a separate compartment.
Harrison said the girl is in hospital undergoing an extensive medical assessment.
A 27-year-old woman was arrested.
Harrison said the driver prevented 'what could have been a far worse outcome'.
He said further charges are possible.
New Zealand's Ministry for Children, Oranga Tamariki, had been notified. — AFP

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Foiled in Setia Alam: Snatch thief caught after botched necklace grab
SHAH ALAM, Aug 5 — A man's attempt to snatch a necklace from a local in Setia Alam was thwarted when bystanders caught him yesterday evening. Shah Alam police chief ACP Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said the incident occurred at 7.07pm when the 37-year-old victim was heading to his car. The suspect, riding a motorcycle, tried to pull off the victim's necklace, but the victim fought back quickly. 'The suspect lost control and fell from his motorcycle. He tried to escape but was caught by nearby bystanders. 'Police later confirmed that the suspect, aged 30, owned the motorcycle but had used a fake licence plate. He is now under remand until August 7,' he said in a statement. Mohd Iqbal urged the public to remain alert and avoid being alone in isolated areas to reduce the risk of crime. Anyone with information can contact Investigating Officer Sergeant Mohamad Hanafi Abdul Ghani at 010-3728932. The case is being investigated under Section 393 of the Penal Code. A video of the attempted robbery earlier went viral on social media, showing the victim struggling to prevent the theft before the suspect fell and fled. — Bernama


Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Caught red-handed: Penang burglar nabbed after returning to scene to collect ‘forgotten' items
GEORGE TOWN, Aug 5 — A man was caught by the homeowner after returning to a house he had burglarised in Batu Maung here yesterday to collect items he had left behind. South-west district police chief ACP Sazalee Adam said initial investigations revealed that the suspect entered the house through the back door while the housemaid was outside disposing of the trash. 'When the suspect noticed the homeowner's presence, he tried to escape but later returned to collect forgotten items. 'The homeowner and a friend managed to apprehend the suspect and handed him over to the police patrol unit (MPV) in Zone 3, Batu Maung,' he said in a statement last night. The suspect tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamines, and benzodiazepines in an initial urine test. He also has a prior record of drug-related offences. 'He will be brought before the Balik Pulau Magistrate's Court today for a remand order, Sazalee said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 448 of the Penal Code. Earlier, a 25-second video of the incident went viral on social media, showing the suspect descending the stairs while the homeowner confronted him. Police traced the video, which had been uploaded to a Facebook account, at 4pm yesterday. — Bernama


The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Tycoon who brought F1 to Singapore pleads guilty in graft case
SINGAPORE: A Malaysian hotel tycoon who helped bring Formula One to Singapore pleaded guilty Monday to abetting the obstruction of justice, in a rare corruption case in the city-state that saw a former transport minister jailed last year. Singapore-based billionaire Ong Beng Seng, 79, was charged in October last year with helping former transport minister S. Iswaran cover up evidence in a graft investigation. He was also accused of showering Iswaran with lavish gifts, including tickets to the 2017 Singapore Formula One Grand Prix, flights on a private jet, business class travel and a luxury hotel stay. Ong entered his guilty plea from a glass-encased dock at a district court in downtown Singapore on Monday. Prosecutors sought a two-month jail term after Ong agreed to plead guilty. He will be sentenced on August 15. But prosecutors also agreed with defence lawyers that the court could exercise 'judicial mercy' in view of Ong's poor health -- which could further reduce any sentence. Defence lawyers pleaded for clemency, saying their septuagenarian client suffered from a litany of serious ailments, including an incurable form of cancer. They asked for a 'stiff fine' instead of actual jail time. 'The risks to Mr. Ong's life increase dramatically in prison,' lawyer Cavinder Bull told the court, saying prison could not give his client sufficient care. 'This man is living on the edge,' Bull added. The Attorney General's Chambers said in a statement that after 'considering the medical evidence before the Court', the prosecutors did not object to imposing a fine instead of jail time. The trial of Malaysia-born Ong had attracted significant media attention due to his links with Iswaran and the affluent city-state's reputation as one of the world's least corrupt nations. Ong owns Singapore-based Hotel Properties Limited and is the rights holder to the Singapore Grand Prix Formula One race. He and Iswaran were instrumental in bringing the Formula One night race on a street circuit to Singapore in 2008. In July 2023, Ong was arrested as part of a graft probe involving Iswaran and was subsequently released on bail. In October last year, Iswaran was jailed for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to accepting illegal gifts worth more than Sg$400,000 ($310,000). He was also found guilty of obstructing justice, in the city-state's first political graft trial in nearly half a century. Iswaran completed his sentence on June 6. - AFP