Auckland dad's desperate hunt for $120k digger, new sighting three years after theft

An Auckland man who spotted what he believes was his $120,000 digger and trailer three years after they were stolen has spent weeks hunting CCTV footage in a desperate bid to recover his equipment. 

Iranian-born Aucklander Soheil Soltani believed a “miracle” was taking place when what he believes was his lost machinery drove past his home last month – only for it to go right past. 

Soltani spent a decade building his landscaping business before his digger and custom-built trailer were stolen from his Green Bay home in November 2023. 

He had returned home from hospital the night before and woke to find both gone. 

The machinery was uninsured after Auckland’s devastating floods forced him to cut costs, with damage to the family’s first home and mounting mortgage payments putting them under financial pressure. 

The theft destroyed his business and sent him into a depression that took years to recover from. 

“I wasn’t the man that I was anymore. I lost everything,” he said. 

Father of two Soheil Soltani says losing his $120,000 digger and trailer cost him his livelihood. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

But on September 23 this year, Soltani did something unusual. 

He prayed. 

“I’m not a praying person. I lost my faith in any god. And I said, ‘Tomorrow is going to be a better day’.” 

The following morning, while getting his daughters ready for school, he spotted a familiar digger and trailer passing by his home. 

“For a moment I was shocked. I was frozen. I know my digger. I know this is my custom-built trailer.” 

He claims he recognised distinctive stickers, dents and modifications, and initially thought police were returning his stolen machinery. 

Instead, it drove straight past. 

Soltani scrambled for his car keys but became stuck in traffic near Green Bay School for five minutes, losing sight of the vehicle. 

The digger and custom-built trailer stolen from Soltani's Green Bay property in November 2023. Photo / Supplied 

He immediately contacted police before going door to door, asking neighbours, schools and businesses for CCTV footage. 

“It was exhausting. It was difficult to earn the people’s trust, especially when I was asking strangers to share their private security footage.” 

He stood outside his home for the next week for an hour each day, hoping it would drive past again. 

Some neighbours provided recordings that Soltani believes show his stolen equipment. 

However, he said several businesses refused to release footage directly to him, requiring police to make the request. 

Soltani feared the recordings would be automatically overwritten before officers could retrieve them. 

He claimed it took police three weeks to assign an officer to investigate his new sighting, by which time recordings had already been deleted. 

Former landscaper Soheil Soltani has been searching for CCTV footage in a bid to track down his stolen equipment. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

He said he had identified a possible route taken by the vehicle and an area with numerous security cameras that could have captured its registration. 

He also contacted Auckland Transport in the hope cameras on buses travelling past the vehicle might have recorded its number plate. 

But the footage he managed to obtain largely showed the machinery from the side, leaving the towing vehicle’s registration unreadable. 

He said police acknowledged the quality of the images he had gathered but told him they could not identify the towing vehicle. 

“The last thing they told me, they said there’s nothing they can do.” 

Unable to rebuild his landscaping business, Soltani has since turned to education, completing a graduate diploma in environmental planning and now pursuing a master’s degree. 

But at 46, he worries about starting a new career without experience in the field. 

Soheil Soltani says he spent a decade building the landscaping business he lost following the theft. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

He said his wife continued to see him as someone capable of building a future for their family. 

Despite the setbacks, Soltani has tried to find a new purpose through his studies. 

“I wanted to give myself hope that the future still existed for me and my children.” 

Waitematā West area investigations manager Detective Senior Sergeant Adam Lough said police remained committed to pursuing all available lines of inquiry. 

“Police understand the significant impact burglaries and thefts can have on victims and take these offences seriously.” 

Lough said officers had made inquiries but were yet to locate the missing equipment. 

“Should any new information come to light, this will be investigated. 

“We remain committed to pursuing all available lines of enquiry and doing everything we can to identify those responsible and hold them to account.” 

Lough confirmed officers had been in direct contact with Soltani to provide an update and would continue keeping him informed. 

Anyone with information that could assist police is encouraged to call 105, quoting file number 231123/0938. 

Rachel Maher is the education correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. She also covers other topics such as Auckland issues, crime and local government. She started at the Herald as a breaking news journalist in 2022, before joining the Auckland team this year.