Detectives investigating last Friday's robbery of a central Wellington money exchange believe one of the three offenders may be a woman.
Security photos captured at the scene indicate the actions and movements of the offender armed with a carving knife may be those of a woman, and not a man as first thought. Another offender carried a firearm.
Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Miller, Wellington CIB, said officers are still looking through CCTV from shops in the Manners Mall area to help identify those responsible for Friday morning's robbery.
"We have sightings of four people seen on the ground floor, inside the KPMG building in Victoria Street, shortly before 11am," he said. "One of the people had a dusk mask and we know that the robbery offenders had dusk masks on their faces."
He said a corridor links the main foyer to Christian Lane. It's likely the people seen on CCTV walked out of the KPMG building into Manners Mall and into the Grand Central Building where the robbery took place. They probably had masks and balaclavas concealed until they reached the money exchange.
Although four people were seen in the group. One was a female, with long black hair, and one other person was wearing a red check shirt. Only three offenders committed the robbery and it's now believed that the one carrying a carving knife was a woman.
This person had a full face balaclava, a three quarter length coat, jeans, running shoes and was carrying a plastic bag.
Police say one of the offenders, a man, was well built and wore a blue or similar coloured beanie with distinctive orange/red flames around it, light coloured clothing and a dusk mask.
Two security photos of a second offender show a man wearing what's now thought to be a raincoat, bluish green in colour, with a distinctive collar. He was carrying a pistol with a long barrel and possibly a silencer. This pistol is described as having blue tape on the barrel end. He also wore a beanie hat, possibly light grey in colour, with circular patterned rows around it. This person may have a tattoo on the back of his right hand.
Another photo shows a third offender, possibly a woman, with a full face balaclava, three quarter length coat, jeans and running shoes. This person carried a knife.
"People who were shopping or working in Manners Mall around 11am on Friday must have seen the people featuring in the security footage," Detective Senior Sergeant Miller said. "We're open minded on the gender and race of the offenders but it would appear that one of the four was a woman."
Police encourage people with information to contact Wellington CIB on telephone: 381 2000.
ends
Note: Attached are security camera photos of two of the offenders. Photos 1 and 2 are of the same person, while Photo 3 is of the offender now thought to be a woman. There are no photos available as yet of the offender wearing the flame beanie.