Auckland robberies: South Auckland stores targeted

1:34 pm on 26 September 2022

Police are investigating a smash and grab and a ram raid in South Auckland overnight.

A Harvey Norman store in Manukau was burgled and a phone repair shop in Panmure also targeted.

Just before midnight, an unknown number of people broke in to the Harvey Norman shop on Cavendish Drive and took items.

Police said they left the scene in three stolen vehicles and no arrests had been made.

At 2.30am on Monday police responded to a ram raid at a phone repair shop on Queens Road in Panmure.

The robberies come a day after a group of robbers smashed display units at the Michael Hill jewellery store at The Base in Hamilton. One person has been referred to Youth Aid in relation to this incident.

During another raid, on the Chartwell Shopping Centre, a security guard was attacked.

Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said after the two robberies she would launch another push for more police.

Police numbers had remained relatively static despite Hamilton's population growing, she said, and the government was not moving fast enough to address crime.

The mayor planned to speak to the police minister again next week about the problem.