New Zealand police were patrolling the backstreets just south of Auckland on Sunday night when they saw it: a “suspicious looking” car travelling down a gravel road near the city’s southern border. The nation’s capital is currently under stringent “Alert 3” COVID-19 lockdown, meaning travel within the region is heavily restricted and border crossings without required documentation are forbidden. As the police approached the vehicle, the drivers performed a U-turn and sped off in an attempt to escape.
Officers eventually pulled over the runaways and discovered that they’d come up from Hamilton, a city located an hour-and-a-half drive to the south. Upon searching the vehicle, they discovered more than $100,000 NZD ($70,225 USD) in cash and a car boot full of KFC.
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“The vehicle was searched and police located the cash, alongside empty ounce bags and a large amount of takeaways,” police said in a statement, noting that the two men were “gang associates.”
“Both men, aged 23 and 30, were summonsed to appear in court at a later date for breaching the Health Order and further charges are likely.”
It wouldn’t be the first time a KFC order has led to police charges during COVID lockdowns. Last year, a group of partygoers in Melbourne, Australia were slapped with a $18,870 fine for breaching coronavirus stay-at-home restrictions after police tracked a bulk KFC order back to the gathering.
A two-person order for about 20 meals’ worth of fried chicken at 1:30AM raised suspicions among a group of ambulance workers who happened to be visiting the store at the time. They notified police, who followed the car to a nearby townhouse and discovered a number of people hiding under beds, in the garage and out in the backyard.
A total of 16 fines for breaching coronavirus restrictions were issued at the one party.
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