A bus driver in New Zealand made a disturbing discovery when a woman boarded the bus he was driving. The man claimed that a bag that a woman carried into the bus “was moving.” What the police discovered after getting a call was truly concerning.
On August 3, the authorities received a vague call from a bus driver. The bus driver informed the cops that a bag on board was moving, which had alarmed him enough to notify the authorities.
A statement released by the New Zealand police department revealed they were prompted to investigate “after a passenger asked for access to the luggage compartment during a planned stop in Kaiwaka.”
The statement shared how the man driving the bus became concerned at the sight. “When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the two-year-old girl,” the statement revealed.
Simon Harrison, who serves as the Acting Detective Inspector at the Waitematā’s Criminal Investigation Branch, addressed the shocking situation. He spoke of how the girl appeared to be hot when found but seemed “physically unharmed.”
“She was transported to the hospital,” the Detective noted. The 2-year-old is still at the hospital and is currently undergoing “extensive medical assessment.” The authorities shared how the child had likely spent an hour inside the suitcase and was found only wearing a diaper.
A woman in New Zealand was arrested Sunday after a 2-year-old girl was found trapped in a suitcase that she was traveling with. https://t.co/HgyWQncbgd
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 3, 2025
Harrison gave kudos to the driver while noting that he “would like to acknowledge and commend” him. The detective noted how the child’s rescue was only possible because the man who noticed something about the situation was wrong and acted on it. The driver’s efforts prevented “what could have been a far worse outcome,” the detective noted.
“Police enquiries into this incident are ongoing, and further charges cannot be ruled out. Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) has also been notified,” a Radio New Zealand release noted.
A 27-year-old woman has been arrested in New Zealand after a bus driver discovered a 2-year-old girl hidden in a suitcase, prompting urgent police action, as the child spent nearly an hour in the bag wearing only a diaper. pic.twitter.com/xEglCwCsX4
— Nyra Kraal (@NyraKraal) August 4, 2025
Detective Harrison also gave an update on the toddler while revealing that the department’s our partner agencies are working hard to ensure that the toddler is looked after.
He also went on to add how he would not be able to reveal more details about the case despite the public’s interest in it. The 27-year-old woman who was arrested for enclosing the child in the suitcase was charged with ill-treatment/neglect of a child. The unnamed woman is set to appear in Auckland’s North Shore District Court on August 4.
