KEY POINTS:
Police say two men who stole a van during a West Auckland home invasion are considered dangerous and should not be approached.
The home invasion occurred at 5am yesterday when the two men wearing balaclavas and armed with a sawn-off shotgun and an axe broke into a man's West Harbour home, tied him up and stole money.
The pair, one 1.67m and the other 1.72m tall, escaped in his dark-green and silver Mitsubishi Triton./
The vehicle was found late yesterday afternoon and is being examined by police.
The man managed to free himself and call for help.
He shaken by the attack but was not injured.
The home invasion was one of three in West Auckland this week although police say there does not appear to be any link between the incidents.
At about 9pm on Thursday two men broke into a home in Massey but were greeted with a struggle. One of the offenders was injured by the homeowner and both men left the house without taking anything.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning police were called to a woman's New Lynn home after three men smashed their way in using a baseball bat after being refused entry.
Detective Sergeant Megan Goldie said the men knocked on the woman's door at 1am saying they had a breakdown and needed help. The woman told them to go to the petrol station and closed the door.
The men, described as Polynesian, aged in their 30s and of medium build, then smashed their way inside and grabbed some of the woman's property. They left in a dark coloured Mitsubishi Galant or similar type vehicle which was seen parked in the shopping centre carpark on the corner of Margan and Titirangi roads.
The woman's handbag was recovered after it was seen being thrown out of a car on Tiverton Rd, Avondale.
