KEY POINTS:
Police are on the hunt for an armed man who has been involved in several bank robberies in Auckland.
On February 2, just after midday, the man entered the ASB Orewa Branch and approached a teller, demanding cash, Rodney police Detective Sergeant Kevin Burke said.
He was carrying a bag and showed the teller the double barrels of a weapon thought to be a 12 gauge shot gun.
The offender was given an amount of cash and left the bank on foot, Mr Burke said.
A member of the public followed the man to Tamariki Avenue in Orewa, but lost sight of him.
Since the incident there had been three other similar robberies carried out in Browns Bay, Panmure, and Pakuranga, Mr Burke said.
They have all been retail banking premises, where a man has entered the branch premises and held up the staff.
A weapon was presented on each of these occasions and the man made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, he said.
" This man is dangerous and he needs to be caught quickly. His confidence will be such that he's likely to strike again. The fact that he is in possession of a large shot gun during these robberies is a real concern," Mr Burke said.
The man was described as probably Caucasian, over 40 years-old, 180cm tall and of medium build.
At the robbery of the bank on February 2, he was wearing a white t-shirt tied around his head, sunglasses, a blue long sleeved shirt, blue track pants, sandals, and carrying a dark coloured bag.
Anyone with information should contact police.
- NZPA
