Wanted: The one-armed bandit

The one-armed man stands by as his companion aims a rifle during their violent robbery of Creoles Bar and Brasserie in Orewa. Photo / Supplied

A masked, one-armed man carried the loot bag while his accomplice aimed a rifle and threw terrified staff to the ground during an armed robbery north of Auckland.

The men followed two off-site consultants into Creoles Bar and Brasserie on the Hibiscus Coast Highway in Orewa on Monday morning and fled minutes later in a purple Holden Commodore with a large amount of cash.

Stock-taker John Dryland said he noticed the men lurking outside when he arrived just before 8.45am.

"It was unusual because the car was backed into the carpark, rather than forward on," he said yesterday.

Mr Dryland said he had just put his briefcase on the counter when the two men burst in, demanding, "Open the till, open the safe".

"I said, 'Look mate, I don't work here - I can't help you'," he said.

A cleaner was grabbed and thrown to the ground before she and the other three people in the bar - Mr Dryland, a female consultant and a young male staff member - were pushed into the kitchen.

Then adrenaline kicked in and Mr Dryland tried to grab the gun.

"But my hand got caught in the sight," he said. "It was probably silly ..."

In the next four or five minutes, everybody "had a gun in their face at one stage or another", Mr Dryland said. "It wasn't very nice. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

The robbers went through Mr Dryland's briefcase, then ransacked the building for cash.

Detective Mark Palma of the Rodney CIB refused to say how much money was taken, but admitted it was "a significant amount".

He said police initially did not know whether the bag-holder's arm was missing or tucked into his jumper.

But study of security film indicated he did not have a right arm.

Long-time brasserie manager Keith McMillan said the business was probably targeted because of its gambling machines.

He urged people to come forward with information.

"Somebody will know this guy with one arm ... especially if there's a guy with one arm who owns a purple Holden. If you stood out like that, why would you go out and rob someone?"

The men were seen driving west onto Moenui Ave in the early to mid 1990s Commodore.

They are described as male Maori or Pacific Islanders, aged in their mid-20s to mid-30s and of stocky build.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Orewa police on (09) 427-4532 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on (0800) 555-111.