The police had major success in apprehending offenders of aggravated robberies in the Waikato region.
The Tokoroa region in Waikato was hit by three separate armed robberies in just one week of time alarming the residents in the area.
This operation, called ‘Overflow’, was carried out in response to a number of recent aggravated robberies and ram raids across the Waikato area.
Early this morning Hamilton CIB, along with the Waikato Armed Offenders Squad, has executed a number of search warrants at Hamilton and Ngaruawahia addresses.
An 18-year-old man is facing charges of burglary, participates in an organised criminal group, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen goods.
Speaking with Indian Weekender, Detective Sergeant Terri Wilson, Hamilton CIB said that as a result of the search warrants four individuals have been arrested and will appear in Hamilton District Youth Court today.
Three males, aged 14-16, will face charges of aggravated robbery, burglary, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and participates in an organised criminal group.
“It is a great result to arrest these offenders and prevent them from committing more crimes across our community”, Sergeant Wilson says.
On Monday night (February 27), two men, armed with a hammer and an axe, entered Amber Dairy on Bridge Street and demanded cash from the shop attendant. According to the police, the robbers were denied of anything, so they ran out of the store and headed down a service lane towards Dreghorn Place.
When Indian Weekender approached Amber Dairy, the owner denied acknowledging and commenting on the incident.
On Sunday, February 26, three men armed with a machete and a firearm entered the Tainui Superette in Tokoroa at around 8:30 p.m. and demanded cash and cigarettes. Two people, who were manning the dairy at the time of the incident, complied with the demands of the offenders. The trio grabbed the money and fled the scene on foot.
“I was not there when the incident happened. My friend and his wife were looking after the store, and they are shocked with this robbery,” Bhavesh Patel, owner of Tainui Superette, told Indian Weekender.
“The police investigated the place but could not find anything, not even fingerprints,” he said.
Multiple armed robberies have taken place in Tokoroa in the last three months. Lamond Takeaway, a fish and chip shop on Nevis Crescent in Tokoroa, was robbed by armed men on Sunday, February 19. Last year in December, Manaia Street Dairy and Balmoral Drive Dairy, too, were robbed by offenders, who were disguised under hoodies and balaclavas and wielded an axe.
“We are reluctant [to] even report the incident to the police. They come to examine the place, take footages, and then there is no progress or any result at the end. We had to close the store for hours to just describe the incident, and at least five hours in the morning for scene investigation,” Mr Patel said.
“We lost business through invasion by robbers, [and] the lockdown during police investigation further added to our losses.”
The police expressed satisfaction in having been able to arrests the offenders and keeping communities safe.
We’ve had a tasked group focused on catching up with this organised criminal group, and now we’ll work hard to reunite owners with stolen property in the coming weeks.
“We’d like to thanks the members of the public who have come forward with information to assist in our investigations into these robberies”, Sergeant Wilson says.