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Brave shoppers are being praised for foiling an armed robbery of a south Auckland supermarket today.
Police were on the scene at the New World Supermarket in Clendon within three minutes of the alarm being raised but shoppers had already detained the robber who was armed with a sawn-off rifle.
"While police do not encourage members of the public taking direct action in these circumstances, I thank those who assisted in the apprehension of this man," Senior Sergeant Spencer Matthews said.
He said the weapon had been recovered.
A 24-year-old Manukau man is expected to appear in Manukau District Court tomorrow charged with aggravated robbery.
- NZPA