At 1am on Sunday 10th April, Police apprehended two offenders who were wanted for a string of burglaries in Waikato, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty.
At the time of the arrest, the net had been tightening on the two men, who were running out of places to hide following the arrest of an associate.
In the early hours of Sunday morning a Police patrol in Kawerau observed a stolen vehicle linked to the pair.
The vehicle fled when signalled to stop, following which Police set-up cordons and deployed road spikes. The vehicle was disabled as it travelled north on Tamarangi Drive and abandoned shortly afterwards.
A Police dog team tracked the offenders and they were located, cold and wet, having attempted to hide in a stream.
The pair will appeared in Whakatane District Court today charged with multiple counts of Burglary, Aggravated Assault and Unlawfully Taking Vehicles.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson, Area Manager: Investigations in Eastern Bay of Plenty says that the operation was a great example of proactive policing.
“The coordinated response of frontline officers, investigations and intelligence teams has led to a great result which has stopped these repeat offenders in their tracks.
“We hope this sends a clear message that Police will not tolerate the kind of recidivist offending that some sectors of society seem to think is glamorous.
“These young men have caused significant damage and distress in the communities that they are part of. This is not something we think young people should aspire to or think is acceptable.”
Well done to the police, doing what they should, and what we need and admire them for. Far better than harming innocent New Zealanders protesting for their freedom on the grounds of parliament.