Many Australian Criminals In N.Z.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29679, 24 November 1961, Page 14

Many Australian Criminals In N.Z.

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, November 23. Australian and New Zealand criminals are crossing the Tasman in rapidly increasing numbers to expand their activities or evade justice, according to DetectiveSergeant A. R. Nixon, of the Sydney Criminal Investigation Branch.

Since arriving in Auckland on Tuesday he has seen several known Australian criminals around the city, including one known to be an active safeblower. Detective-Sergeant Nixon said there had been evidence that numbers of Australian pickpockets, touts and confidence men were coming to New Zealand for major race meetings at which they would be very active.

New Zealand detectives believe there are about 30 known Australian criminals in the Dominion at present. Detective-Sergeant Nixon said he thought about 80 per cent, of them were “on the run” because of offences committed in Australia. Most of the offences were not sufficient to qualify for the extradition of the offenders under the Imperial Fugitive Offenders Act He had reason to believe that at least two of these men had taken part in the organising of the ‘‘wave of safeblowing" in the Auckland district in recent weeks. Detective-Sergeant Nixon said he believed an exchange system between the Australian and New Zealand police forces would be valuable. Detectives from Australia could spent some time in New Zealand on the alert for criminals from their country, while New Zealand detectives did the same in Australia.

An inter-change arrangement of that nature was worked between New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.

Detectives from outside states frequently saw wanted criminals in other states, were able to tell by the nature of a crime that a person known to them from their state was involved, and gained a very useful knowledge of the methods used by officers in other districts.

“The benefits we get from these visits would accrue to New Zealand if the system was put into practice between the two countries,” he said. “It would certainly be a big help in criminal detection."