Tauranga police say they are closing in on a trio of armed robbers after finding masks they used to disguise themselves.
The men, armed with a shotgun, were dubbed the Casper the Ghost robbers, because of the Casper masks they were wearing during two heists last week.
A Te Puke jewellery store was robbed about 11.30am on Friday, followed by the Katikati Paperplus at 2.25pm.
The masks, made of paper mache type material, were now undergoing forensic testing, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner told the Bay of Plenty Times.
Police were keen to identify shops which sold the type of mask used.
As well as the three offenders, police were also looking for another man who acted as a lookout.
The robbers were travelling in a stolen black Nissan Skyline coupe, which has since been recovered.
- NZPA
Police find robbers' Casper masks
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