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As the day wore on, the world was treated to a cavalcade of cars. One by one, Dotcom’s ensemble of collectors’ cars were trundled out the front gate of Dotcom Mansion. A police press release carried the full street address of the mansion in its opening line — a breathless invitation to media who were not already present to find their way to the property.

The property was shut down to outside eyes. A lawyer representing Mona attempted to gain access to observe what was happening on her behalf. He couldn’t get access, raising in Dotcom’s mind questions as to why. “The operation was already over. I was already arrested and co-defendants as well. The assault was over.” The belief, which became stronger as time went on and further revelations emerged, was that the lockdown was to remove bugs planted throughout the house. “We think they were doing things here that they didn’t want anyone to see.”

Inside the mansion, police were moving from room to room placing anything of value into bags. They had for reference the seizure order — unlawful as it was — which detailed the items of value which the FBI knew Dotcom had.

But the police had another objective, which was to ensure nothing was left which couldn’t be seized once additional paperwork was filed. They took Mona Dotcom’s diamond-encrusted jewellery and designer watches, among other valuables, regardless of whether they were on the seizure order. They then made a list of the valuables and sent it to the FBI, who went straight back into court to get seizure orders covering these previously unknown valuables.

In other words, once the FBI found out what else the police had seized, they went and got legal authorisation for the seizure of those items.

Officers also made sure they collected every computer, laptop, power plug, mobile phone and smart phone they could find. The seizure order (later found to be illegally and unlawfully broad) gave them extensive powers to seize potential evidence. NZ Detective Inspector Grant Wormald later said it would have allowed police to take anything electronic. It was an example of police discretion, he said, noting they left behind the fridge and microwave.

ASSISTANT US ATTORNEY Jay Prabhu, chief of the Department of Justice’s cyber-crime unit, was waiting at the North Shore Police Station for a chance to view the men he wanted shipped offshore for trial. He had with him the indictment detailing the allegations against Dotcom

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