Armed police arrest man in Flat Bush after spate of shootings in Otara

Armed police officers at a scene in Bairds Rd, Otara, yesterday.

Heavily armed police have arrested a man in Flat Bush in relation to a series of shootings in Otara.

Police pulled over a vehicle in the South Auckland suburb this morning at around 10.25am and found live shotgun shells in the car.

The arrest has been captured on camera, which shows three armed officers marching forward with rifles raised at their shoulders.

Footage also shows a person with their arms raised in the air above their head being ordered over a loudspeaker to walk backwards while the Eagle helicopter flies above.

Officers arrested an 18 year-old man and charged him with unlawful possession of ammunition.

He will appear in the Manukau District Court tomorrow

.

Another male occupant of the vehicle was arrested on unrelated matters and will also appear at Manukau District Court tomorrow.

A police spokesman said police had a dedicated team investigating this offending and were following positive lines of inquiry to hold those responsible for the shootings to account.

The arrest took place near a construction site at the intersection of Murphys Rd and Murphys Park Rd.

It comes after at least five recent gang-related shootings in two days in Ōtara, South Auckland.

The gun crime spree has highlighted a drive-by shooting culture and has frustrated community leaders who blame poverty and the glorification of gang lifestyles for the shootings.

Police have confirmed all five shootings since Friday are linked and involve an organised crime group.

It led to an increased police presence in the suburb over the weekend, with officers in the streets carrying firearms.

On Friday afternoon, Counties Manukau police responded to reports of three incidents in Ōtara in which firearms were reportedly discharged.

On Saturday, police were twice again called to Ōtara. At about 2.24pm, reports came in that a firearm had been discharged on Prestons Rd and there were also reports of a firearm being discharged around 10pm.