A further man has been arrested and charged in relation to the 2021 homicide of South Canterbury man Anaru Moana.

The 25-year-old man was arrested at a Waimate address yesterday.

He is facing a charge of murder.

Moana was reported missing on 23 December 2021, and extensive inquiries have been carried out since then to locate him.

In 2022, police arrested and charged two other men with murder in relation to the homicide investigation.

The investigation and search for Moana has involved detailed searches of waterways in the Waitaki and Waimate areas, with the assistance of the Police National Dive Squad.

Detective Senior Sergeant Nik Leigh said that while police have not yet located Moana, it is pleasing to have put people before the courts in relation to his death.

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we know there are people in our community that know what happened to Anaru,” Leigh said.

“We are asking those people – please, it’s time to come forward. Help us provide his whānau with some closure,” he said.