Arrests made after $42,000 ram raid

Waikato Police have arrested three people, including two teens, for ram raiding a Raglan service station and taking $42,000 worth of tobacco and other items.

The arrests came after search warrants were executed in the Hamilton and Huntly areas.

Two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old will appear in the Hamilton Youth Court tomorrow, on three charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and one charge of burglary.

About 4am on Sunday, four offenders using three stolen vehicles drove one of the vehicles into Raglan BP service station and stole $42,000 worth of tobacco and other grocery items.

One of the vehicles was left at the scene and the two others were recovered on Monday morning in Nawton, Hamilton.

The three people have since been selling the stolen items through online buy-and-sell pages.

Two other males have been arrested for receiving stolen property after being identified selling some of the stolen cigarettes on social media.

Police would like to remind members of the public that buying cigarettes they know are stolen can result in prosecution.

Police said anyone involved with the illegal selling or buying of tobacco or other products is likely to find themselves the subject of police interest.