Wellington  - A New Zealand man arrested Tuesday on suspicion of burglary objected to spending a night in custody, saying it would hinder his search for a job, police said.

"We took this with a grain of salt given his 132 previous convictions, 60 of which are for burglaries," Senior Constable Bruce Bogun of the Hamilton burglary squad said.

When he was arrested, the 27-year-old man had an iPod that was stolen in a break-in at a house last week, Bogun said.

Bogun said the man was being interviewed and inquiries were continuing. (dpa)