Two people have been tracked down and arrested after allegedly robbing a jewellery store in the Auckland CBD – using a rental vehicle for their getaway.
The store on High St was robbed of 17 pieces of jewellery on May 30.
“Inquiries carried out by our staff revealed the alleged offenders used a rented vehicle to leave the scene,” Auckland City area investigations manager Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend said.
The alleged jewel thieves were identified as Ōpōtiki locals.
The Auckland Central Tactical Crime Unit found that the stolen jewellery had been taken into pawn shops in Rotorua.
“In total they have pawned 17 items of the stolen jewellery at a second-hand dealer, which we have been able to recover,” Friend said.
A man and woman were arrested in Ōpōtiki this week.
A 30-year-old woman was due to appear in the Whakatāne District Court on July 1 charged with receiving stolen property and being in a stolen vehicle.
A 27-year-old man has been remanded in custody to appear in the Whakatāne District Court on July 17 charged with the unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and two counts of burglary.
Friend called the arrests “another great result in Auckland Central in holding retail crime to account”.
“We are sending a clear message that this type of brazen offending will not be tolerated.”
