Police arrest one for receiving after ram raids

Kaikohe District Court. PHOTO/FILE

A 28-year-old man has appeared in Kaikohe District Court on a charge of receiving following two ram raids of Northland service stations.

A police spokeswoman said officers carried out a search of a Kaikohe house on Monday after two ram raids earlier the same day.

A white vehicle stolen from Kaikohe was reversed through the front door of a Kaeo service station about 2.30am. A second white vehicle was also present.

The offenders, three men and a woman, took an ATM cassette, drawers from the till and a bag of lollies. There was no cash in the drawers or cassette. The offenders then left and headed south down State Highway 10.

Then about 4.50am, an alarm at a Waipapa service station was activated. Police found both the front and back doors smashed.

The stolen vehicle was found a short time later but the second white vehicle was not. The spokeswoman said a sighting by a member of the public on Monday afternoon lead to a search warrant being issued and number plates from the second vehicle were allegedly found.

After a brief appearance in court yesterday a 28-year-old Kaikohe man was remanded on bail to appear again on October 11.

Anyone who has information on the others involved can call Whangarei Police Station on 09 430 4500.

It's not the first time the service station in Waipapa has been burgled. In a late July incident thieves rammed the back door of the premises and got away with cigarettes.

This time they were not successful in stealing any goods although the cost of replacing the "highly expensive" front doors is considerable.

The raids were the latest in a spate targeting Northland businesses in recent months. Other Northland businesses that have been ramraided in recent months include Rawene Four Square and Parua Bay GAS service station, Kaitaia's Stihl Shop and Wiltons Marine, in Mangonui.