Police on the lookout for drunk drivers made a catch of a different kind late last night - three paua poachers.
A highway patrol constable stopped a suspicious vehicle in Upper Hutt about 11pm only to find 1275 paua inside the car, acting road policing manager Senior Sergeant Doug Rowan said.
The amateur limit is 10 paua of each species per person.
Sen Sgt Rowan said the men, who were returning to Lower Hutt after a dive off the Wairarapa coast, were detained under the Fisheries Act and the paua, their car and diving gear were confiscated.
