Four teens and 42 year-old woman arrested for Levin dairy robbery

The Winchester Street dairy that was robbed on July 15.

Four teens and a 42-year old woman have been arrested by Manawatu Police for the aggravated robbery of a dairy in Levin's Winchester Street last month.

Three of the youths robbed the dairy, threatening staff with a firearm before loading a washing basket with cigarettes and tobacco worth over $5000 and fleeing the scene.

The fourth teen was a lookout, and the woman was their getaway driver.

The offenders were 15 and 16 years old, and two of them were aged just 14.

Detective Sergeant Philip Skoglund of Manawatu CIB said the arrests were significant.

"Police will not tolerate any threats of this nature towards members of our community," he said."

"Based on the continuous information provided to us by the public, neither will our local residents. These arrests are significant for providing reassurance to the victims and preventing further serious incidents of this nature."

He said the four teenagers were due to appear in the Levin Youth Court on Tuesday 12 September, and the woman would appear in Levin Court on the same day.

The dairy's owner Ella, who did not want her surname published, said the robbery, in July, was very scary.

Despite the shock of seeing three masked offenders approach her while she was alone in the store, she managed to remain calm, push a panic button and escape into the back room of the shop.

"I looked at the gun, and thought - is it a toy? But it looked real so I pushed the panic button and ran out back," she said.

"You don't want to fight them if they have a gun."

She believed the offenders were locals, and was concerned about the increase in crime related to the increased price of cigarettes and tobacco.

Ella said the offenders had come prepared to take cigarettes, bringing an empty washing basket, which they filled with the more expensive brands.

Detective Sergeant Skogland said the store's staff members were receiving ongoing support.