A 34-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Turipapa Tukere following an altercation in Ngāruawāhia on 27 December.
The arrest was made early this morning after police executed two search warrants in Hamilton with the assistance of the Armed Offenders Squad, as well as another search in Tauranga. The accused is set to appear in Hamilton District Court today.
Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders acknowledged the support of the Ngāruawāhia community during the investigation and confirmed that inquiries are ongoing, with further arrests not being ruled out.
Authorities are urging anyone with relevant information who has not yet come forward to contact police via 105, either online or by phone, quoting file number 241227/6958.