Two people have been arrested in separate police operations in rural Canterbury.

Police were first alerted on Tuesday 27 May to a burglary on Southbrook Road, where a pair of front gates were stolen from a residential property in broad daylight during peak traffic hours.

Using CCTV footage and other enquiries, police identified a suspect and carried out a search warrant at a Christchurch property.

The stolen gates were found partially mounted on the front fence.

A 41-year-old man was taken into custody at the scene and appeared in court on 31 May.

He was remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Christchurch District Court on 25 June.

In a separate incident on Tuesday 3 June, the Canterbury Rural Tactical Crime Unit searched a Swannanoa property in relation to several stolen vehicles.

During the search, police recovered three vehicles that had previously been reported stolen.

A 30-year-old woman was arrested at the address and is facing a charge of receiving stolen property. She is expected to appear in Christchurch District Court at a later date.

Waimakariri/Hurunui Response Manager Senior Sergeant Stephen McDaniel said public assistance played a key role in the investigations.

“We would like to thank the members of the public who provided information. This is invaluable and enabled us to hold the alleged offender to account,” he said.

“We urge anyone who sees suspicious or unlawful activity to report it to police. If it’s happening now, call 111. If it’s after the fact, contact us on 105, or report anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.”