A 48-year-old woman has been charged with misconduct in respect of human remains and nine counts of obtaining by deception.
Police have been investigating some burials at Waikumete Cemetery since the beginning of August this year.
The New Zealand Herald is reporting the woman is an ex-employee of Tipene Funerals.
Auckland CBD Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the woman was arrested on Tuesday in Favona, south Auckland.
“She is scheduled to appear in the Auckland District Court on Friday, October 25.”
Baldwin said the arrest was a significant development in the investigation, which was continuing.
“We cannot rule out further charges and hope this arrest brings some reassurance to those affected by this woman’s offending.”
The Herald published an investigation in August, which claimed an undertaker from Tipene Funerals, owned by TV series Casketeers stars Francis and Kaiora Tipene, allegedly placed several prominent Auckland Samoan bodies into plastic bags. Owing to a cyclone a number of bodies had to be disinterred, which was when the bags were discovered.
The Tipenes said earlier this year that they had laid a complaint with the police. At the time the police said they had discontinued the inquiry but another branch took up the investigation later.
