Please attribute to Counties Manukau South Area Commander Inspector Dave Glossop:
Police have now arrested and charged a 21-year-old male following a spate of arsons in Counties Manukau South.
He faces 15 charges of arson and one of burglary and has appeared in the Papakura District Court today.
Our investigation is ongoing and we cannot rule out the possibility of further arrests.
We hope this arrest will provide some degree of comfort to the many victims and to the communities across the wider Papakura and Pukekohe areas as they have been very concerned by this offending.
I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the investigation team who have been working around the clock to identify the alleged offender and hold them to account.
ENDS
Shelley Nahr/NZ Police