Navy seeks stolen pyrotechnics after break-in

Photo / Martin Sykes

The navy is urgently reviewing security after a man stole ammunition, flares and smoke bombs in a depot break-in on Auckland's North Shore at the weekend.

The Kauri Pt ammunition depot is manned 24 hours a day but the burglary was not noticed until Monday morning, the navy said.

A 25-year-old man was to appear in North Shore District Court yesterday on a charge of burglary.

Changes had already been made to security at the depot, in the suburb of Chatswood, but the navy would not reveal details.

A review of security and processes would be done before any decision on whether anyone would be disciplined over the break in.

Detective Sergeant James Watson said police had recovered all the ammunition. No weapons or explosives were stolen.

Entry was gained after a lock was forced at the building where the ammunition was being held.

The items were at a transit facility, navy logistics commander Captain David Proctor told NZPA.

"Items are only held in a transit facility for a very short period while they are being processed, packaged for distribution elsewhere or receipt from elsewhere.

"We will review the security around that and the processing around it to ensure we can avoid such an occurrence in the future.''

Capt Proctor said the navy was "clearly concerned'' the theft was not discovered until Monday but would not say if an alarm was triggered.

"The facility at Kauri Point is safe, I wish to assure the public of that.

"We have undertaken a review of our processes and security and have done everything we can to avoid an occurrence happening into the future. What happened shouldn't have happened.''

Anyone who found any of the stolen pyrotechnics should call police, Capt Proctor said.

- NZPA