Police are investigating an aggravated robbery at a Kawakawa property on Thursday night.
Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston, of Northland CIB, says a report was made to Police about two men arriving at a property on State Highway 1, just south of the Kawakawa township after 9pm.
¡°Initial information reported was that both men were carrying firearms and were demanding a vehicle parked at the property.
¡°The occupants managed to leave the address without injury and contacted Police.¡±
It was initially thought the offenders were still at the property and the Armed Offenders Squad deployed.
Detective Inspector Johnston says cordons were put in place on a section of State Highway 1.
Northern cordons were in place at the roundabout in the Kawakawa township, with the southern cordon based at Waiomio Road.
¡°AOS staff voice appealed the address before midnight, and eventually cleared the property however no offenders were present.¡±
Cordons were stood down at around 1am and Police enquiries are ongoing.
Police are also investigating a firearms incident alongside this incident, which was reported at a property in Kaikohe at 11.15pm.
¡°At least two men made threats towards the occupant of this address, before assaulting him but medical attention was not required.¡±
Police acknowledge the cooperation of motorists who were turned around or were delayed at cordons near Kawakawa overnight.
¡°Police need to take these matters seriously and we do not tolerate threatening or violent behaviour involving firearms,¡± Detective Inspector Johnston says.
¡°What I can say at this stage is that we do not believe these events to be random, and Police are following lines of enquiry in the investigation.¡±
ENDS.?
Jarred Williamson/51½ÖÉä