Please attribute to Detective Sergeant Andy Livingstone:
This week Taupo Police arrested two men in relation to a firearms incident at a reserve on Wairakei Drive.
On Tuesday morning Taupo and Tokoroa CIB staff, assisted by Bay of Plenty Armed Offender Squad, executed a number of search warrants in Taupo in relation to this.
We hope these arrests will reassure the community that we are focused on holding organised criminal groups to account for their unacceptable and dangerous behaviour.
At approximately 10:30am on August 28th there was an altercation between two parties known to each other.
Two armed men, associated with a Taupo gang, attempted to rob a man and a woman parked in a white ute on Wairakei Drive.
Fearing for their safety, the pair drove away in their ute and the two men with firearms pursued them in a silver Ford Falcon car.
Both parties then drove their vehicles in a dangerous and reckless manner through the Taupo CBD. It is very fortunate that other road users were not hurt.
Taupo Police immediately began making enquiries into the incident, culminating in the search warrants and arrests on Tuesday morning.
Two men, aged 51 and 43, were arrested and charged with assaults with intent to rob.
They appeared in Rotorua District Court on Wednesday and are next due to appear on 30 November.
This was incredibly reckless behaviour and Taupo Police want the community to know that we will thoroughly investigate any incident such as this and will hold offenders to account.
Gangs carrying out such violent acts in our town will not be tolerated.
The investigation into this incident is continuing, and more charges are likely to follow.
We want to talk to anyone who saw either of these two vehicles being driven at speed through Taupo on August 28th, or has any other information which could assist this investigation.
People can give information to Taupo Police on 07 378 6060 or alternatively, information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre