Police issue 'wanted' notice on 'polite' robbers

By PATRICK GOWER

They are the Tana cousins, and they are suspected of robbing a service station every three days.

Desmond, Tony and Mark Tana are wanted by police investigating 18 robberies at service stations across Auckland over the past 10 weeks.

Yesterday the police issued a public "wanted" notice to try to prevent further incidents.

They believe cigarettes valued at more than $60,000 have been taken in the raids.

The technique is simple: no weapons or force are used and they are usually polite to attendants.

They lurk in the shop until all customers are gone, slip behind the counter and use a rubbish bag to carry away the spoils. They leave in multiple getaway cars that are borrowed rather than stolen.

Police are investigating robberies since October 31, ranging from Massey in the west to St Heliers in the east and Mangere in the south.

At least once the men responsible told the attendant: "We do this for a living".

Detective Gavin Henderson said police believed they had struck three times since Christmas. The latest was at the St Heliers Bay Rd Mobil on Saturday.

"There has probably been [a robbery] today I have not heard about yet, or there will be one tomorrow.

"They know we are after them but they just don't care. They don't even cover their faces for the cameras."

Mr Henderson said the men outnumbered and outsized the scared sole attendants they robbed.

"It is a standover thing," he said.

They were usually long gone by the time police arrived.

He said about $5000 in cigarettes was taken each time, which he believed would be sold.

Mr Henderson said police had been hunting Desmond and Tony Tana for the past month and now wanted to speak to Mark as well.

The search was focused on Auckland.

"There are so many addresses they could go to and they could be out the back when we are talking out the front."

A Tana family member, who did not want to be named, told the Herald the police were confused by all the boys in the family.

"The police are putting them out as the most wanted, but then they have had one in custody and let them go. I don't know what they are going on about."

She said the cousins were very well mannered and would be "lovely boys to meet on the street".

They had lost their jobs but did not want to go on a benefit.

She said family members had told the cousins to give themselves up to police.

"They said they wanted to see the New Year in on the outside. I haven't heard anything from them since."

* Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the Tana cousins should call Mt Wellington detectives Trevor Henderson on 021-579009 or Jamie Bissett on 025-2896858.