Police have laid further bank theft charges against the Romanian couple who allegedly went on a jewellery spree around the North Island.
Ioan and Paulina Kvec were arrested last Sunday and appeared in Palmerston North District Court on Friday.
Both were charged with robbing jewellery stores in Tauranga, Napier, Hastings, and a liquor store in Pahiatua.
The couple, who lived in the United Kingdom and arrived in New Zealand on February 11, were arrested after they were allegedly found with a cache of jewellery.
Police say they found another 38 pieces of jewellery in the couple's rental car, believed to be worth more than $100,000, and were still trying to identify the owners.
Further charges have now been laid, with both now jointly facing 11 charges, police central communications manager Kim Perks said today.
Although previously referred to as theft, the jewellery charges were technically shoplifting, she said.
The pair now each face five shoplifting charges relating to jewellery taken from three jewellers in Tauranga, one in Napier and one in Hamilton and five theft charges relating to banks in Hastings, Cambridge, Warkworth, Auckland's Blockhouse Bay and Waipukurau.
The pair were last week remanded in custody and will appear in court again on Wednesday.
In the meantime all of the jewellery, including the 38 unidentified items, were being professionally assessed by gem experts in Auckland, Ms Perks said.
