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Police have foiled a terror plot hatched by four Northland teenagers that involved blowing up safes, ordering weapons on the internet and taking out people on a revenge hit list.
The students - all in their mid-teens and from the Kaipara and Bream Bay areas - had already executed the first two stages of their plan, by allegedly stealing chemicals to build a bomb using plans downloaded from the internet.
Police say they also stole DVD players and laptops they planned to sell so they could pay for firearms ordered via the internet.
Their detailed, hand- written plans outline their next step, which was to blow up a Te Hana service station safe and make off with the cash.
But this week police thwarted the plan they describe as "disturbing" and "like a plot from a B grade movie".
Bream Bay Area commander sergeant Sergeant Ken Andrews said police were taking the plot very seriously.
"This has very serious overtones. It's definitely an incredible plan but very disturbing."
"This is out of the norm for Northland and out of the norm nationwide."
Mr Andrews said he was relieved police had intercepted the teens before they progressed to bombing the Te Hana service station.
"It's tainted with unbelievability but it was a plan in progress and it was stepping up to another level. Who knows where it would have stopped?
"You would hope at some point they would come to their senses and the master plan wouldn't come to fruition. No one wants this sort of crime in their community."
The youths, three aged 16 and one 15, have been referred to the Police Youth Aid section with charges and further legal action is expected.
Because of their age, the media is barred from publishing details which would identify the teens or the school they attended.
The police investigation was sparked by a concerned parent who discovered a stolen laptop in one of the teenager's bedrooms.
Officers then discovered chemicals stashed in one boy's room, and learned that bolt cutters were used to break into a chemical storage area at a local high school.
Less than two weeks after the chemical raid, the youths allegedly used a stolen car to return to the school and steal six brand new DVD players and three laptops.
Police discovered detailed plans about the two school raids which outlined call signs and tasks for each member of the group.
Other paperwork documented a plan to break into a paintball centre and steal guns, ammunition and CO2 cannisters.
Bomb plans were also found along with a comprehensive floor plan of Gas Alley at Te Hana, including the position of security cameras and the service station safe.
The group had decided any cash from the burglaries would be divided equally after the cost of the operations had been deducted.
During the police investigation one student revealed he planned to buy firearms off the internet, using the proceeds from the bombing and burglaries, to take revenge on people he thought had hurt his girlfriend.
He had a "wish list" of high-powered weapons complete with pictures of each, and had information about Russian snipers awarded medals during both World Wars.
"It seems a bit dreamy but they were doing it," Mr Andrews said.
One of the boys was motivated by a desire to take revenge against teachers at the school.
Also discovered during the searches was a soft pellet air pistol that was difficult to tell from a genuine pistol.
"Using a weapon in crime puts it into a very serious bracket. It's hard to tell the difference between this airgun and a real pistol."
The owner of Te Hana's Gas Alley, Jaswinder Singh, said an attempt had been made two weeks ago to break into his business, with the would-be thieves smashing a window and a sliding door.
However, police had not warned him about any plot to blow up his safe, he said.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
