Alleged jewel thief appears in court

A man accused of being part of an international robbery group which netted $770,000 worth of jewellery last month has appeared in court.

Juan Leal-Casillas made a brief appearance in Auckland District Court this morning charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and of participating in an organised crime group.

He consented to a remand in custody until tomorrow, said duty solicitor Danielle Beston.

Leal-Casillas was arrested in Morrinsville late on Saturday night after police received information from the public.

Police said they picked up Leal-Casillas at a "certain address" in the small Waikato farming town after a tip off from a member of the public.

Leal-Casillas was one of two men sought by police after the arrests of three men and two women in Auckland last week.

Police arrested the other man, Jose Jimenez-Perez, on Saturday after he was found in Wellington, again following a tip-off from the public.

He has appeared in the Wellington District Court on a raft of charges and has been remanded in custody to reappear on Tuesday.

The group are accused of stealing jewellery worth $770,000 in two Auckland robberies last month.

The alleged victims were Australian and Asian dealers in New Zealand to buy and sell jewellery.

One, from Sydney lost jewellery worth $110,000 in suburban Parnell on May 2.

Two other international dealers were robbed of more than $600,000 in gems outside Rydges Hotel in central Auckland on May 17.

Most of the stolen jewellery has been recovered.

- NZPA