A full scale armed police response was sent to the home of an unsuspecting teenager after a member of the public reported seeing him wave a gun out a car window - but it turned out the weapon was a fake.
Police have now issued a warning about "disturbingly realistic" replica firearms following the incident on Auckland's North Shore this morning, which fooled seasoned officers.
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The 18-year-old was spotted around 9.45am by a concerned member of the public who reported seeing him waving a handgun out of the passenger window of a car on Oteha Valley Rd in Albany.
An armed police operation was immediately launched, police said, complete with the Eagle helicopter, several dog units and a number of front-line officers to search the area.