Gang members were the 'intermediaries' who helped return Lindauer paintings to police

The"intermediaries" who helped lead police to two stolen Gottfried Lindauer paintings can now be revealed as gang members.

Lindauer's paintings of Chief Ngātai-Raure and Chieftainess Ngātai-Raure were stolen from Auckland's International Art Centre just before 4am on April Fools Day, 2017.

On November 7 last year, police announced the paintings had been returned to their rightful owners.

"Police were contacted by an intermediary, who sought to return the paintings on behalf of others," detective inspector Scott Beard previously said.

READ MORE: * Badly damaged Lindauer paintings could take years to restore, expert says * Police 'never gave up hope' stolen Gottfried Lindauer paintings would be returned * Gottfried Lindauer portraits theft: New twists in unsolved Auckland art heist

Stuff and NZME have been fighting to lift suppression of the fact since December 2022, however on Wednesday the Court of Appeal ruled the identities of the gang members will remain suppressed and all other details surrounding the return of the stolen paintings.

There is nothing to suggest the gang members were involved in the heist.

"Loyalties change over time and there may be people out there that know those responsible for the burglary," Beard previously said.

"It is incredibly fortunate that police have been able to facilitate the return of these paintings more than five years after they were stolen."

Further investigative work to identify those responsible for the burglary was ongoing.

"Despite extensive inquiries being conducted at the time no one has yet been charged."

Beard said both paintings had suffered some minor damage, believed to have occurred when they were stolen.

"Pending any forensic results from our inquiries, police will look at any new information that comes to hand and we will follow that up appropriately," he previously said.

A report on the theft, filed by a detective from Auckland City CIB, said CCTV of the heist showed two people getting out of a Holden, driven by a third person.

One passenger carried a portable gas-powered blowtorch. He approached the reinforced glass of the art centre and set to work torching the window, while the other passenger stood lookout.

The lookout appeared to be carrying a bottle.

After less than a minute of the other person's blow torching, he dispensed the contents of the bottle onto the window.

The video showed a large cloud of thick white smoke, indicating the contents of the bottle could be liquid nitrogen, based on the appearance of the plume and the absence of any sparks or ignition.

Once the smoke cleared, the first man began smashing the blowtorch's canister into the window.

But it wouldn't shatter, so the pair returned to the car and drove away.

Eight minutes passed, and the white Holden returned.

A stolen red ute, driven by the blowtorch operator, was reversed through the window in front of the two Lindauers, smashing it.

The paintings were then stolen before the getaway car sped off.