Wellington  - New Zealand police say they have caught two men touring the country using fraudulent credit cards to buy electronic goods for a crime ring based in Singapore, according to news reports on Thursday.

MalaysianLow Sin Wah, 49, and Singaporean Chua Wee Peng, 38, faced 28 charges of using forged documents to obtain goods worth nearly 8,000 New Zealand dollars (5,040 US dollars) when they appeared in the Napier District Court on Wednesday. They were remanded in custody without plea for a week.

Police alleged the men, who entered New Zealand on visitor permits, travelled around the country buying electrical goods with nine fraudulent credit cards issued by banks in Europe and Asia which were found in their motel room when arrested.

The cards were all in the name John Lee and both men had forged Singapore driving licences in that name, Wellington's Dominion Post reported.

Police believe the pair, who were said to have been in five North Island cities, were buying the goods on commission and sending them to an accomplice care of a post shop in Auckland.

Documents and maps indicated they planned to visit eight other cities in both main islands, police said.

The police Asian crime unit believes the men are part of a gang based in Singapore, the Dominion Post said. (dpa)