Robbers risking 14 years' jail for few hundred dollars

Armed robbers in Northland could end up spending up to 14 years in jail, police are warning, as they also advise business owners on how to deal with a robbery.

Five businesses and a man and woman have been confronted by armed robbers in Northland in the past three weeks. The latest incident happened about 7pm on Wednesday when a man robbed a worker at gunpoint at the Vegie Twins store in Kamo Rd, Whangarei, and demanded money.

The worker, Cambodian refugee Chheun Sean, said the firearm was pointed at his head and the robber got away with the day's takings.

Police are appealing for help to catch that robber and others who carried out armed raids on Onerahi PostShop on Monday and the Destination Dairy in Riverside Drive, on August 26.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested and charged over the armed robbery of the Shed Liquor Centre in Kaikohe on Saturday and police are still looking for another man in relation to that raid.

On August 17, a worker in Ruakaka's Oasis Store had a shotgun pointed at her head as a robber demanded cash and tobacco. Police later recovered a gun at a house in Kamo and arrested two men and charged them with aggravated robbery and theft over that heist.

As well, a man and woman have been arrested following an aggravated robbery in Paihia in which they allegedly made off with a couple's bags on September 4.

Some of the robberies are believed to have netted the culprits only a few hundred dollars and the maximum sentence for aggravated robbery is 14 years' imprisonment.

But police say the big issue is the danger such robberies place on those being robbed, with potential long-term psychological harm from having a fire arm pointed at them and the risk of serious harm or death from the weapon.

They said if anybody found themselves the victim of an armed robbery there were steps they could take to reduce their personal risk. "If people are unfortunate to find themselves in the situation of somebody robbing them and they are facing an armed offender it's important that they comply fully with (the robber's) demands," a Northland police spokeswoman said.

"And don't take matters into your own hands. Call police on the 111 line as soon as it is safe to do so immediately after the robbery.

"Also be observant if you can. Take as much detail as you can about the robber - a description of their clothing or any distinguishing features."

It was important robbery victims did not increase their risk of potential harm by challenging robbers. Store owners should also ensure they had adequate security in place, including cameras to capture images of any robbers.