Police have recovered a firearm after a stolen ute was stopped in rural South Auckland in the early hours of this morning.
Information was received after midnight that a stolen commercial ute was travelling south through the Wiri area.
Counties Manukau South Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Clive Wood, says the Police Eagle helicopter was deployed as a result.
¡°Eagle quickly picked up the vehicle¡¯s movements and relayed this information to staff on the ground,¡± he says.
¡°The vehicle carried on south until arriving at an address in Ararimu.¡±
A Police unit quickly moved in behind the ute.
¡°The driver was taken into custody without incident and a further search was invoked of the stolen vehicle,¡± Senior Sergeant Wood says.
Inside, Police located a 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition, cannabis and methamphetamine.
Senior Sergeant Wood says the 32-year-old male driver¡¯s night took a turn, with additional charges being laid on top of being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
The man has also been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, as well as drugs offences.
He will appear in the Pukekohe District Court today.
Senior Sergeant Wood says: ¡°Investigations are still ongoing into the original incident where several commercial vehicles were stolen from an ?tara business last week and have been recovered.
¡°This is another great result from our team working overnight, with a firearm taken out of circulation in our community and an offender to face up to the courts.¡±
ENDS.?
Jarred Williamson/51½ÖÉä