Seven masked and armed teenagers who robbed a shop and made off with cigarettes in South Auckland have been foiled by bystanders who tracked their movements and tipped off police.
The group stormed a business on Pukekohe’s West St about 10am today and began demanding tobacco.
Two of the children had weapons, which a police spokesman clarified were not firearms.
The shopkeeper escaped any violence, the spokesman said.
The seventh member of the group was waiting in a stolen getaway car outside and fled to a nearby address after the incident where police eventually caught them.
The eldest of the group was 18 and the youngest was 12.
Counties Manukau South area commander Inspector Joe Hunter said locals helped officers track the group down, watching the alleged offenders and filling police in.
“Several members of the public have observed the robbery and contacted Police, providing a number of updates to us that led to the arrest of all seven alleged offenders,” Hunter said.
“We also recovered the stolen vehicle at the address and managed to recover most of the stolen items.”
Police were still investigating the incident, including doing a scene examination at the shop and the house where the group fled.
“Six of the seven alleged offenders are youths, and we are currently considering charges of aggravated robbery and other offences, pertaining to the stolen vehicle.
“We are providing support to the victim and will continue to support them throughout this case.
“Most especially, we would like to thank those members of the public who acted quickly to notify us of their observations, which proved pivotal in these quick apprehensions.”
COPD affects approximately 200,000 Kiwis aged over 45.