logo
Miramar homicide victim Abdulhassan Nabizadah was 'set up' to be robbed

Miramar homicide victim Abdulhassan Nabizadah was 'set up' to be robbed

RNZ News4 days ago
Police think more than one person was involved in the plan to lure and rob Abdulhassan Nabizadah.
Photo:
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Police believe Abdulhassan Nabizadah was "set up" to be robbed - but the incident took a violent and ultimately tragic turn.
Nabizadah, 63, was found critically injured on a street corner of Camperdown Road in the early hours of 17 March, shortly after police were called to a home invasion a block away on Darlington Road.
He died in hospital the next day.
Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard - the head of the investigation into Nabizadah's death - told RNZ that police had identified and spoken to a woman linked to messages which drew Nabizadah to the suburb of Miramar and the assault which cost him his life.
He said police believed there were people who knew exactly what happened and he has called on them to do the right thing and come forward.
Pritchard told told RNZ this week that police had spoken to the woman known to both Nabizadah and another man - who is currently facing charges over the aggravated burglary of the Darlington Road address.
Pritchard said a cellphone found near the scene of the home invasion had been linked to the woman and contained communications with Nabizadah.
"[Nabizadah] was going there to meet a female known to him. From the evidence we've gathered the motive - we believe - was to rob him and its been taken to far and led to an unprovoked, violent assault on him that has ultimately led to his death," he said.
Pritchard said police believed more than one person was involved in the plan to lure and rob Nabizadah.
Nabizadah had been assaulted about 12.30am - before residents in the Darlington Road home were disturbed by an intruder.
Pritchard said police were unsure as what had led to the burglary that followed the assault.
"We don't understand the motive for the burglary. They are separate incidents that happened to be linked through persons and a cellphone. Why someone would go and commit a burglary? We don't have any logic behind that one.
"I think it was an opportunist event [and] there's no evidence to suggest that family or that address was singled out," Pritchard said.
Pritchard said he had no doubt there were people who knew exactly what had happened, but police were yet to get the full story.
"We've engaged with a number of persons - some who have provided accounts to us, some who are reluctant. I know there are people out there who know what's happened.
"Persons who have information - think of the family, think of the heartache. Losing someone in such violent, unprovoked [and] needless actions. Cutting someone's life short - and the impact on his family - just from wanting to rob someone who's a law abiding citizen, who just happened to be in wrong place at the wrong time... Have a conscience and just come forward," he said.
Pritchard said many people in the community had provided information, some of which had enabled police to get in touch with a vehicle and two individuals of interest spotted in the area at the time.
He said he was grateful for the community's efforts and wanted to assure residents that crimes at the centre of the investigation were not indicative of unchecked criminal activity in the suburb.
"We're confident they are isolated incidents and don't represent a pattern of offending in the area," he said.
Pritchard said a dedicated team was determined to hold the people behind Nabizadah's death to account.
"The team is working really hard to provide the family with some justice.
"There is a lot of data and material that they are reviewing, and they are attempting to speak to persons who have information and they'll keep being persistent with that because we know people have got the answers out there so we won't give up," Pritchard said.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Search contines for Roy Arbon who beat drug scam and braved Erebus
Search contines for Roy Arbon who beat drug scam and braved Erebus

RNZ News

time37 minutes ago

  • RNZ News

Search contines for Roy Arbon who beat drug scam and braved Erebus

Roy Arbon. Photo: Supplied The search will resume today for a West Coast beekeeper who helped to recover bodies after the Erebus air disaster and was later the victim of a drug smuggling scam after the 75-year-old went missing on a tramp near Greymouth. Police are concerned for the welfare of Roy Arbon, who is overdue from a solo walk between Mt Davy and Mt Sewell he set out on on Wednesday. He may be wearing a blue puffer jacket, shorts, and hiking boots, but this is unconfirmed. West Coast beekeeper Roy Arbon Photo: Supplied "Although he is believed to be an experienced hiker, concerns are growing due to the time overdue, lack of contact, and cold temperatures," a police spokesperson said. Arbon worked for the Antarctic division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research when Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed into Mt Erebus in 1979. In an interview with NZ History , he described the dangerous recovery work: "We were working on a glacier… probing for crevasses with an ice axe. One thing that stayed with me is the smell of unburnt aviation fuel." He also helped erect a memorial cross on the crash site amid gale-force winds so strong the helicopter could not be shut down. West Coast beekeeper Roy Arbon Photo: Supplied "I was asked to help erect a memorial cross on the site. This was done in a gale-force wind so bad the helicopter could not shut down. I believe this was because the wind was blowing so hard, they wouldn't be able to get the machine started without damage to the main rotors." In 1995, Arbon also assisted in recovering the bodies of 14 people who died when a viewing platform collapsed at Cave Creek. Years later, Arbon was caught up in an international drug smuggling scam. Photo: The Scam screenshot He was detained in Australia after unknowingly transporting a suitcase from Brazil that contained more than 2kg of cocaine. He was later acquitted at trial in Western Australia. His ordeal was featured in the documentary The Scam . Anyone with information on Arbon's whereabouts is urged to contact police on 105, quoting job number P063265345. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Send in the drones: Call for aerial crackdown on dirt bikers
Send in the drones: Call for aerial crackdown on dirt bikers

RNZ News

timean hour ago

  • RNZ News

Send in the drones: Call for aerial crackdown on dirt bikers

A Rotorua resident says drones should be used to catch problem bike riders. Photo: Bevan Conley via LDR Warfare, shark-spotting, real estate photography. The drone has become a multi-use agent of the sky, and a Rotorua resident wants them used to fight illegal dirt bike activity plaguing the city. However, local authorities warn the seemingly simple solution is anything but. Rotorua Lakes Council and local police have faced increasing difficulty keeping the city's reserves, play areas and sports fields safe from vandalism - particularly from dirt bikes. Earlier this month, police promised a crackdown on the issue . Resident Ryan Gray believed drones could be the answer. He deals with the problem daily with "loud and obnoxious" riders hooning down a nearby cycleway. "These riders dive onto footpaths and cycleways where cars can't go, and if they're chased, they'll just ride more dangerously," Gray said. "That's where drones come in. You've got CCTV, you've got the tech so why not use it? "The camera sees them, drone goes up, follows them home, you then knock on their door, and you've got them on video." Rotorua resident Ryan Gray wants more done about illegal dirt bike activity plaguing public areas. Photo: Andrew Warner via LDR A video of the issue he posted online recently sparked comments of vigilante action and concerns for innocent bystanders and the riders. "It's not even about catching everyone, it's about deterrence. If people know they'll be caught, they'll think twice. "Right now, it feels like no one's doing anything, and the community's getting desperate. We shouldn't have to wait for a kid to get killed before police take this seriously." Neil Hunt Park's main football field was closed off to the public after recent dirt bike activity. Photo: LDR/Mathew Nash Authorities in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia have trialled similar systems. Their efficacy remains up for debate although in California, footage of drones chasing and locating nuisance riders has been a hit on social media. In Western Australia, drones have been in use since 2018. They have more than 80 police pilots using them for search and rescue, surveillance, and public safety. This has included crackdowns on problem vehicles. "Western Australia is the single largest policing jurisdiction in the world," said Western Australia police sergeant Nathan Gilmour. "The inclusion of drone technology enhances police search capabilities across large distances and over rugged terrain that would unable to be accessed by vehicles or personnel." "Police are guided by Civil Aviation rules and legislation such as the Search and Surveillance Act and the Privacy Act when deploying drones over residential areas," he said. "We also know that these riders often travel considerable distances across town and the drone is also subject to flight time capability and distance from the control point." Drone use has been banned at Kuirau Park, Rotorua Lakefront Reserve, Village Green, Motutara (Sulphur) Point and Hannah's Bay Reserve. These sites are near an airport, helipad or aerodrome. Generally, operators must fly only in daylight, below 120m, keep drones in sight, and avoid people or private property. Flying near airports or in controlled airspace requires approval. He believed collating information, public help and a cultural shift in some communities was needed to tackle the dirt bike issue. "We still require the public to step up and come forward with the street addresses that these dirt bike riders are coming and going from regularly," he said. "This anti-social behaviour is a societal problem, not just a police problem. It requires a mindset shift that the community can have an impact on achieving." Rotorua police area prevention manager Inspector Phil Gillbanks said drones might seem like an "easy solution", but there were complicating factors. Rotorua Police area prevention manager Inspector Phil Gillbanks. Photo: NZME via LDR Rotorua Lakes Council was also asking the community for help, with its hands tied by the nature of preventive barriers. "We must balance restricting motorcycle/vehicle access with ensuring that reserves and shared paths are accessible for legitimate users like walkers, people on push bikes, people with prams and people using mobility devices," said a council spokesperson. Drones were not seen as the solution. "The council doesn't have the resources to purchase or operate multiple drones to deter dirt bikers. "For anyone using drones, permission is required from owners of land a drone is being flown over, so they aren't necessarily practical for surveillance purposes." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

Body found at Arkles Bay in Auckland
Body found at Arkles Bay in Auckland

RNZ News

time2 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Body found at Arkles Bay in Auckland

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly A body has been found in the water at a North Auckland beach this morning. The person was found dead at Arkles Bay near Whangaparāoa by a member of the public at 6.50am. Police are working to identify the person. "The person has been recovered from the water and work is now under way to identify them and establish the circumstances of their death," a police spokesperson said. "At this stage no further information is available."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store