
A New Zealand couple who fled the country after receiving millions of dollars in a banking error may have had a 16-day head start on police.
Police, who are refusing to confirm speculation over the case, said today those being sought were believed to have travelled to Hong Kong.
International police liaison organisation Interpol had been called to help find them.
It also emerged that other family members were also missing.
The unnamed couple, believed to be Asian man "Leo" Gao, perhaps in his 30s, and his Kiwi girlfriend Kara (or Cara) Young, have not been seen since $NZ10 million was mistakenly deposited into their account after they applied for a $NZ10,000 business overdraft.
The $NZ10 million was first deposited in the account on or about May 5, but police only announced it was investigating the matter yesterday - 16 days later - the New Zealand Herald reported.
Police would not say when Westpac first reported the missing money.
Mr Gao and his girlfriend reportedly left the country after abandoning his service station on Old Taupo Road in Rotorua, NZPA said. The service station went into receivership on May 8.
The service station closed so suddenly that motorists were still driving in to fill up thinking it was open, it said.
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