Auckland's Counties Manukau Police have apologised after a man was arrested for stealing a car he had just bought.
A report released by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) this week outlines how the man filed a complaint after he was arrested and his car towed.
"He provided documentation showing he had legally purchased the car from the previous registered owner," the report states.
"Police looked into the ownership of the car and found another person had registered the car into their name a few days after the complainant bought it.
"This other person then reported the car stolen which is why police arrested the complainant, as he was no longer the registered owner."
After the issue was discovered police charged the person who filed the false ownership registration and returned the car to its rightful owner.
"Police acknowledged they had taken insufficient steps to verify ownership before arresting the man and wrote to him to apologise," the IPCA concluded.
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