About Shane Dye
I joined the police in 1993 as an impressionable 23 year old who thought he knew all about the world, wanting to become a member of the Armed Offender Squad and a Dog Handler, however once in the police I found my true passion was investigations. I changed my goals and worked at developing myself as a sound investigator, I have always enjoyed solving complex and difficult puzzles and found investigations was a natural role for me.
Areas Of Expertise
I am a qualified Detective with over 26 years of investigation experience after over 32 years in the New Zealand Police. During this time I have investigated all manner of crime from low level thefts to homicides and all manner of organised crime including large scale frauds, people smuggling and drug dealing.
Conventional Investigative Techniques
With my experience in the police I have investigated every type of offence from simple thefts and burglaries to complex and large-scale offending involving organised criminal groups, and all phases of homicide inquiries. I have significant experience in court not only in taking cases to court and presenting evidence to obtain convictions but also in giving expert opinion evidence at court on a number of occasions as an expert in my field.
Engagement and risk management
I have had specific training and have then lead courses on engagement and recruitment of criminal informers. Managing the risk involved in dealing with information about high level criminal activity, alleged corruption both in New Zealand and overseas, and homicides. I have lead training in covertly identifying and targeting individuals for recruitment to solve serious and complex crime without compromising their identity.
My risk management has included managing risk to reputation and the organisation I worked for, ensuring inquiries are safely conducted and managed to protect public opinion and the personal identities of those involved. Using innovative solutions to progress inquiries and protect those involved where otherwise they may have ended without resolution.
Covert Investigations
When conventional investigative techniques have not worked, or are not likely to work, then covert investigative techniques are sometimes required to solve issues. I have over a decade of proven experience in covert policing, managing inquiries involving the use of under cover agents, installation of covert cameras and audio devices, interception and recording of private communications, in person surveillance and recruitment of informers to solve complex and large-scale criminal offending. I know how to seize evidence legally and ensure all evidence seized can be used to prove matters at court.
Covert inquiries require careful planning and execution to manage risk of compromise and ensure they come to a successful conclusion. I successfully use creative thinking to overcome hurdles to progressing inquiries, I provide legal and innovative solutions to ensure matters can be successfully investigated and appropriate outcomes obtained.
Police Role Chronology
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Police Recruit.
Started in wing 145 at the New Zealand Police College.
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General Duties Constable
Wellington uniform branch, included 18 months in the control room managing police resources and prioritising attendance in calls for assistance from the public and extending periods relieving as the group sergeant.
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Uniform Attachment to the CIB
Crime Control Unit working in plain clothes targeting street level drug dealing, gang drug houses and volume crime offenders, principally burglars. Completed a number of ‘buy bust’ scenarios which would now be managed by the undercover programme.
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Detective Constable
Started my detective training in the Johnsonville CIB investigating all crimes that occurred in the Western suburbs of Wellington.
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Detective
Wellington Child Abuse Team, completed my training and qualified as a Detective in 2002. Investigating sexual and physical violence against children in the Wellington area.
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Wellington Organised Crime Unit managing files for investigations into organised crime involving the use of covert investigations including, covert surveillance, installation of covert cameras and audio recording equipment, use of under cover agents and the interception of private communications. Most of this work targeted high level drug dealing and offending by members of criminal gangs.
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Sergeant
Promoted to sergeant and took a role at the police college where I taught two wings of recruits with a 100% pass rate.
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Sergeant
Managing a team in the Wellington General Duties Branch.
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Detective Sergeant
Lead the Wellington Crime Control Unit conducting proactive investigations into volume crime and street level drug dealing, my team was often called in to assist with homicide inquiries during this time.
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Detective Sergeant
Ran the Wellington Crime Squad, 24 hour 7 day a week coverage of detectives responding to all calls for service from the public that involved serious offences of the nature investigated by the CIB. An then a general CIB squad investigating all manner of crimes from fraud and theft to rapes and robberies. Managed phases of homicide inquiries including the first ever use of a drone by the New Zealand Police at the scene of a suspicious death.
During November 2011 I went to Police National Headquarters to assist with the investigation into John Key and John Banks having their private communications covertly recorded by a member of the press, “teapot tape”.
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Detective Sergeant – 2IC Operation Brussels
Op Brussels was a murder inquiry that was unsolved after a full team worked on it for 6 weeks, I continued the investigation with 4 staff, including travelling to Australia and China to gather evidence and approach and gain the cooperation of reluctant witnesses. The inquiry involved the interception of the main suspects private communications including installing devices in his house and car. The trial was complex circumstantial case with no direct forensic evidence linking the suspect to the murder resulting in conviction.
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Detective Sergeant
Back to leading an investigation team in the Wellington CIB.
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Acting Detective Senior Sergeant
Lead the Wellington Area CIB with oversite of all investigations being conducted by the 30 staff in the CIB, prioritising resources and inquiries to deliver an investigative service in Wellington.
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Detective Sergeant
Wellington Covert Operations Group. Lead a team of detectives targeting organised crime utilising all covert techniques available. Inquiries included personally conducting an inquiry in parliament that included covert installation of cameras in the highly protected parliament building to solve internal thefts. The first ever seizure of Bitcoin by New Zealand police in relation to a series of drug importations. Leading suspect phases of homicide inquiries. Lead Operation Crossing, a homicide investigation in Lower Hutt leading to conviction of a mongrel mob member for murder after a random fatal stabbing
Wellington Covert Operations Group. Lead a team of detectives targeting organised crime utilising all covert techniques available. Inquiries included personally conducting an inquiry in parliament that included covert installation of cameras in the highly protected parliament building to solve internal thefts. The first ever seizure of Bitcoin by New Zealand police in relation to a series of drug importations. Leading suspect phases of homicide inquiries. Lead Operation Crossing, a homicide investigation in Lower Hutt leading to conviction of a mongrel mob member for murder after a random fatal stabbing.
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Detective Senior Sergeant
Lower North Human Source Management Unit. This role included delivering training to all detective courses at the RNZPC and leading courses interviewing, running undercover agents and on the recruitment and management of criminal informers. Provided advise and guidance to heads of investigations across the country in relation to managing inquiries whilst maintaining the confidentiality of the identity of human covert sources of information.
In this role I managed information in relation to transnational organised crime, allegations of corruption, persons with a terrorist mindset, homicide inquiries and had liaison with international partner agencies.
Feb – Apr 2022 spent three months relieving as a detective Inspector in Eastern Districts over seeing multiple investigations into gang shootings and homicide inquiries.
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Detective Senior Sergeant
Tasman Organised Crime Unit, lead investigations into organised crime across the Tasman District, included dismantling the Tasman portion of the ‘Southern Swarm’ of the Killer Beez with over 20 arrested, reducing the methamphetamine consumption in Westport by 60%, assisting to found a Motueka Methamphetamine Harm Reduction Scheme, a large scale fraud investigation with multiple victims, one victim alone was defrauded of more than 1 million dollars, investigating a Vietnamese National with immigration fraud, and dismantling a group involved in facilitating online scams from overseas.
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