Police received 103 reports of burglaries or theft at flood damaged properties, right across the country, in the month following the Auckland anniversary weekend floods.
That's according to figures released to 1News under the Official Information Act.
The actual number of flood-hit homes looted may be even higher due to the way crimes are recorded.
For comparison, there were a total of 3830 residential burglaries over the same time period - an increase of 228 compared to last year.
The data covers burglaries and thefts in the month from January 27. (Source: 1News)
Manmeet Malhotra was forced to flee her West Auckland home when the floods hit.
"We were told it'd be cordoned off, the area would be cordoned off, there will be a police patrol and everything," she said. "But people did go in there that night."
She said her property - and her neighbours' properties - were targeted by looters.
"It's thousands, four, five thousand dollars of stuff has been, gone missing. It's still going on, you won't believe it."
The figures also show just eight people have been arrested or prosecuted in relation to these burglaries and thefts.
The Esk Valley resident was hit with a double whammy. (Source: 1News)
The data on looting is "indicative-only", according to police, because "there is no specific field in operational police databases that identifies a property as being flood damaged".
Instead, when someone reports a burglary or theft at an address damaged by flooding, a comment may be recorded "which states the property has either flood damage or a red/yellow sticker or placard".
Police concluded it's therefore possible "properties were missed".
Superintendent Naila Hassan, the Waitematā District Commander, said: "I don't know myself whether there are any active investigations, where we have identified an offender and haven't yet arrested them".
"We continue to investigate these matters so, as burglary reports come in, we investigate them, and certainly we'll be looking to hold any offenders we identify to account.
"I don't have any information before me that indicates that certain groups are targeting these properties that have been red and yellow stickered."
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