Senior Constable Graham Perkins, of Alexandra, said a Roxburgh police officer was phoned by someone last week who recognised, from a social media post, a small bus allegedly stolen from Dunedin.
The bus was seen in the Cromwell Gorge heading towards Clyde.
Alexandra police were alerted and a plan to halt the vehicle was formulated, he said.
After turning into Clyde township the bus and its four occupants were stuck at the roadworks in Sunderland St. While the bus was unable to move, police set about blocking its next move.
Spikes were set up on the Clyde bridge and on the road heading towards State Highway 8. In the meantime, the person who had spotted the bus was on the telephone to the Roxburgh officer giving precise location updates, Snr Const Perkins said.
As the bus turned into Blyth St police stopped the driver, a 40-year-old man, who was arrested and charged with unlawful taking.
Two of the three passengers — a 42-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man — were also arrested and charged, despite their conflicting version of events.
A 41-year-old man, the third passenger, was arrested and released after showing police phone messages indicating he had no knowledge the bus had apparently been stolen, Snr Const Perkins said.
A meth pipe and drugs were also seized from the vehicle, he said.
The three people arrested appeared in the Alexandra District Court and were remanded to appear in the Dunedin District Court next month and banned from Central Otago until then.
Sergeant Darren Kidd, of Alexandra, said it was a great example of the good relationship between police and the Central Otago community.
He was extremely proud of the team and of being able to return a prized possession to its owner with no damage, he said.
