Stolen vehicles: Police arrest 15 young people after fleeing driver incidents across Auckland

Papakura residents say they've been terrorised by teen car thieves, with this vehicle stolen and crashed this week. Photo / Supplied

Fifteen young people have been arrested overnight after a cluster of stolen vehicles across Auckland led to the alleged culprits fleeing police.

At about 11.23pm last night, the first incident occurred near Papakura with spikes successfully being deployed near Manurewa.

Another stolen vehicle was sighted on the Southwestern Motorway, around 11.28pm, and was eventually tracked down near Māngere.

The third incident happened just before 1am where a stolen vehicle was sighted near Grey Lynn. The car was sighted along with another vehicle near Parnell and both failed to stop and fled on the Northwestern Motorway.

One vehicle was later stopped in Parnell, with the other in the New Lynn area.

Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers said the 15 people arrested were aged between 11 and 16.

"Our staff have done incredible work in bringing these incidents to a safe conclusion while also apprehending those in the stolen vehicles."

He said staff utilised appropriate tactics to monitor the vehicle's movements and track down the alleged offenders.

"Inquiries will be ongoing into the fleeing driver incidents, with appropriate enforcement action being taken as a result," Chambers said.

“Police continue to engage our partner agencies around young people we are identifying in offending, as they work to try and address the drivers behind their offending.”

Papakura residents say they've been terrorised by teen car thieves, with this vehicle stolen and crashed this week. Photo / Supplied

Papakura locals say they’ve been terrorised by an “epidemic” of teen car thieves in the area.

One resident said it was the same group of “14-year-old punks” committing crimes.

“Every night this week they have been tearing around our streets in stolen cars, threatening anyone who comes out of their homes,” the resident said on a local Facebook page.

“They are always stealing the same kind of cars, small automatics (probably because they can’t drive manuals!).”