Family gang of alleged shoplifters sought

File photo / NZ Herald

A judge has issued arrest warrants for a family gang who allegedly drove to Hawke's Bay to plunder shops on Waitangi Day.

The judge issued the warrants yesterday for the arrest of the three members of a Palmerston North family after they failed to appear in Napier District Court on charges relating to the expedition to Hawke's Bay.

The three are Kamla Wati, 54, her son Mohammed Asheed Khan, 21, and his partner Karishma Kanda Reddy, 19.

All of the accused are recorded as Fiji-born and face eight charges of theft involving mainly clothing and grocery items.

Police allege the family spent three to four hours plundering the shelves of shops in Napier on Monday, while one of them waited outside in a car with an infant.

They were arrested after being stopped by security staff at Pak'n Save Napier about 1.30pm.

Police say they found more than $1000 of stolen goods in the vehicle in the carpark, and the three were taken to Napier police station where they were charged and released on bail to appear in court yesterday.

They are alleged to have stolen from clothing stores Jay Jays, T&T, Hallensteins, Just Jeans, Baby Factory and Postie Plus, Super Cheap Auto, and the supermarket.

Meanwhile, a man charged with stealing more than $6000 worth of goods in an unrelated alleged spate of shoplifting in November and December was remanded in continued custody after pleading not guilty to six of the charges against him.

Jamie Russell Waapu, 35, of Hastings, is alleged to have wheeled-out trolley-loads of goods from Pak'nSave and The Warehouse, sometimes worth more than $1000 at a time.

He has, however, pleaded guilty to four other charges involving smaller amounts of property.

Judge Bridget Mackintosh scheduled a defended hearing for May 29.