Police in hunt for violent bank robbers

A masked gunman walks through the ASB Three Kings branch while customers keep low on the floor. Photo / NZPA/NZ Police

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Police are on the hunt for two suspects after an aggravated robbery near central Auckland this morning.

Two armed offenders entered ASB's Three Kings branch shortly after 9am after first detaining the bank's security guards.

Police said there were up to five customers in the bank at the time of the robbery, along with four staff.

It is understood that one offender forced customers to the ground and held them at gunpoint while another broke his way through to the rear of the bank where he used a crowbar to force open the bank's tills.

One of the offenders also snatched money from the hand of one of the customers, police said.

Witnesses described the offenders as Polynesian or Maori men who were wearing black trousers, black hooded sweat shirts, gloves and black balaclavas.

They left the scene in a silver Mitsubishi Airtek station wagon with the registration DBG676. It was later found abandoned Fyvie Avenue, Three Kings.

The vehicle had been stolen from nearby Mt Roskill the night before.

Police have asked for anyone with knowledge of the offenders or who had witnessed this morning's robbery to contact the Avondale CIB on 09 820-5781 or 027 494 6683.

- NZ HERALD ONLINE