Arrests made in relation to Mangonui burglaries
Thursday August 21, 2014
Police have arrested three men in relation to a series of burglaries in Mangonui.
Two men, aged 18, were arrested recently and charged with burglary. One of the men was also charged with theft, theft
ex-car and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
Following the arrest of these men Police carried out further inquiries to locate a third offender.
The inquiries led them to Auckland. Three Far North Area Prevention Team (APT) staff, who were in Auckland on another
matter, decided to take the opportunity to search for the outstanding offender.
With the help of police staff from Manurewa the Far North team spent two days, starting on Tuesday, searching 10
addresses in an effort to locate the offender.
Yesterday their efforts paid off when the man was found hiding in a car on the driveway of a Manurewa address.
The 25-year-old Auckland man has been charged with burglary and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
Far North Area Prevention Manager Senior Sergeant Chris McLellan says the offender had some matters outstanding in
Manurewa and it was a great team effort between the staff in that area and Northland staff to find the man.
"It also means that communities in Manurewa and Mangonui can have one less high risk offender in their midst, which
ultimately leads to fewer victims of his crime spree."
Mr McLellan says this result also sends a clear message to offenders from other areas who choose to come north and carry
out further offending.
“We are starting to make a difference to burglary rates with our staff focusing on this type of crime. This is a clear
example that we take burglaries seriously and that we will do all we can to locate the offenders and hold them to
account”.
ENDS