Crime scene: Card thief lines up goods

Police are looking for a man who has used a stolen credit card at shops across Auckland.

The credit card was stolen in August last year and has been used to buy more than $4000 of hardware and liquor.

The man is described as a Maori or Pacific Islander, 20 years old, with short, shaven hair. A witness described the man as well spoken with a knowledge of the building trade.

Anyone who knows who the man is should call the Counties Manukau robbery squad on 295-0200.

HAMILTON

Hamilton police are hunting a gang of jewellery thieves.

The gang has hit properties throughout the city, particularly in the north Hamilton suburb of Flagstaff, where there were six jewellery burglaries in one night two weeks ago.

Constable Tony Bevan of Hamilton North said there had been a leap in the number of jewellery thefts in his region over the past three months, with tens of thousands of dollars worth of items stolen.

In one burglary alone more than $7000-worth of jewellery was taken from a home.

Police statistics reveal a drop in burglaries across the Waikato district where jewellery was taken, compared with this time last year, which suggests that the problem is very localised.

Constable Bevan said the thieves were well organised and would usually force their way into empty homes through windows. They did not seem too interested in videos, televisions, and stereos - the traditional targets of burglaries - although those items were still being taken.

Police liaison with second-hand dealers had helped slow the trade in stolen merchandise, but little missing jewellery had surfaced.

"Unfortunately, it seems like it may be going elsewhere. Auckland is likely, but we have no evidence to indicate that it's going up there."

People should photograph their jewellery and get it valued to help trace the items if they were taken.

Constable Bevan said anyone with information, or anyone who had been offered cheap jewellery from a dubious source, should contact him or the Hamilton North burglary squad on (07) 854-6000.

ROTORUA

A 78-year-old Rotorua woman had just come through the checkout at the West End New World yesterday morning when a man grabbed her cart carrying $120 of groceries and ran off with it.

The woman, who uses a walking frame, and her companion did not see the man but another shopper said he took a second cart full of groceries and loaded them both into a grey Ford Falcon.

Senior Sergeant Dave Wilson said the woman was shaken by the experience and police would be keen to hear from anyone with information. Phone (07) 348-0099.

AUCKLAND CITY

Auckland City District police are looking for three men who robbed the Royal Oak branch of Thomas Cook at 1.30 pm on Friday, November 3. It is the third time the branch has been robbed this year.

The three men entered the store and confronted staff with a double- barrelled shotgun. They were recorded on the store's video camera.

After leaving the scene, they ran across the road, behind the shops and into the carpark where it is believed they left in a vehicle.

The first offender is described as a male Maori, very tall (more than 183cm), with a fat build and face. He has dark hair and dark eyes and was wearing a brown casual jacket and brown sneakers.

The second offender was a male Maori in his twenties wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt. The third was a male Maori also in his twenties, described as smaller than the others.

Anyone with information should Auckland police on 379-4240.