Wellington police yesterday recovered a large portion of the money stolen in last month's security van heist.
Detectives from Wellington travelled to Hamilton on Thursday night. For legal reasons, police will not say where the money was found, said inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Vaughan.
Two Chubb guards were ambushed at gunpoint on December 22 at a National Bank ATM machine in central Wellington.
The robbers drove off in the security van, which contained more than $940,000. It was later found burned in a historic gunpowder magazine.
Detective Senior Sergeant Vaughan did not know whether police had found all the stolen cash, but they had recovered a large amount.
"I actually haven't seen the money," he said.
"I couldn't tell you, because it hasn't been counted, what the exact amount we've recovered is, but it's a significant amount."
The money would be counted on Monday. Even then police would probably not disclose how much was found because charges had already been laid over the robbery and the amount stolen was a key part of evidence that would be put before the court.
Detective Senior Sergeant Vaughan said he could not comment on the circumstances leading to the recovery of the money.
"It seemed to go fairly smoothly."
No arrests were made when the money was found.
Five people, including former security officers, were arrested this week and charged in connection with the heist.
A hunt is under way for another person police suspect was involved, and detectives want to speak to a seventh person.
"A huge amount of work" needed to be completed before the case went back to court, said Detective Senior Sergeant Vaughan.
Joe Vise Sua, Samantha Gay Roser, Peter Richard Tyson, Jonathan Robert McDonald and Craig Anthony Ferris have been charged in connection with the robbery and appeared in courts in Wellington and Christchurch on Thursday.
They were remanded in custody.
Meanwhile, Chubb is not commenting on its standards or procedures following the robbery but has expressed concern about the possible use of inside information.
Phil Curson, general manager of Chubb Protective Services, said the alleged offenders included people who had previously been licensed security officers. They had worked as security transport officers for a former contractor to Chubb and had access to inside information.
"Our own investigators established during the early stages that the offenders had knowledge of some of our procedures ...
"Unfortunately, despite stringent pre-employment screening procedures, some vulnerability is inevitable to the evolution of criminality among contractors' staff."
NZPA
Police recover money from Chubb van heist
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