By Jono Hutchison
Police are looking for five people, some believed to be teenaged girls, after an armed robbery in West Auckland.
They held up a takeaway shop, armed with a gun, knife and hammer and left with bags full of ice-creams.
Staff at the Ranui takeaway shop were cleaning up before closing time last night, when they found themselves faced with a gun.
“Pointing to me, say, ‘hurry up, give me some money’, and also, one of them got a knife and the other one got a hammer,” says owner Yunan Zheng.
Two of the group went straight to the ice-cream freezer and the others followed when they couldn't open the till.
They took off with between 50 and 70 ice-creams; police say it looks like the offenders were teenagers.
“It appears that they would be younger, perhaps early to late teens, but being concealed, we don't want to narrow ourselves to that age group,” says Detective Constable Rachael England of Henderson police.
It wouldn't be the first time young people have held up a store wanting money and ice-creams.
Early last year, three boys robbed a Sandringham superette, taking ice-cream, chocolates, cigarettes and cash.
This time, the shop's owner says four out of the group of five were female, and he believes it was the same people who held up his store at New Year.
“We remember the voice, when they talking,” Mr Zheng says.
Police took finger prints and say it could prove helpful that they weren't all wearing gloves.
“We're looking into the similarities of those two, whether they're linked or not, but at this stage we don't have any information to confirm that,” Ms England says.
Police say it's a big help to the investigation that the shop was able to provide them with high-quality security camera footage, but they're still urging anyone with any information to come forward.
3 News