A large-scale manhunt has ended with the arrests of two men after shots were fired at multiple cars travelling on a major NSW highway.

The pair are being held in custody after being arrested at 3.15pm on Thursday at Kempsey, on the state’s mid-north coast.

No charges have been laid.

NSW acting Assistant Commissioner Scott Tanner said police were not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident and they were yet to find the firearms involved.

“The (alleged) offenders have only been in custody for about an hour, so as part of our investigation, we will retrace where they’ve been and continue to search for those weapons,” he told reporters. 

“… We believe there were four vehicles that were impacted by the gunshots and we’re just establishing the order of what happened.”

Officers were earlier hunting for the occupants of a black Mercedes dual-cab ute that was found abandoned in Port Macquarie following a string of reported shooting incidents early in the morning.

A tactical team, multiple helicopters and the dog squad were deployed during the search for the suspects.

Four incidents were reported between 1.40am and 5.40am at various locations along the Pacific Highway in the Manning-Great Lakes and Kempsey regions, with separate crime scenes established.

A police vehicle attempting to stop the ute was fired at along Fernbank Creek Road, while a male motorist suffered a bullet graze wound during an incident at Coolongolook.

The man was assessed by paramedics and discharged.

Mr Tanner earlier said information suggested the incidents were random, with no links between the victims, and that police were still establishing the type of firearm involved. 

Investigators have appealed to the public for any information regarding the two suspects or any of the incidents.

Police also said a body had been found on Thursday morning on the side of Fernbank Creek Road near the Pacific Highway outside Port Macquarie after a welfare check.

The male was found at a different location to where the police vehicle was targeted. 

A crime scene was established and investigations are under way. The death has not been confirmed as being linked to the shooting incidents.

Mr Tanner said police were treating the death as suspicious.