Tests underway on firearm and bullet from dairy shooting

A gun seized during the capture of a wanted criminal will be tested to see if it is linked to the murder of dairy worker Bhagubhai Vaghela.

Christopher Robert Smith was arrested in an early-morning raid on a New Plymouth property yesterday.

Police wanted to speak to Smith about the armed hold-up of the Bucklands Beach Superette on June 5 and there were warrants for his arrest.

They were tipped off by the public after naming Smith as a person of interest in the hunt for Mr Vaghela's killer.

The 58-year-old was shot with a small-calibre firearm as he stood behind the counter of the Uptown Minimart in Eden Tce on Sunday night.

Detectives working on the murder investigation travelled to New Plymouth to interview Smith.

Detective Inspector Bernie Hollewand said he was captured after members of the armed offenders squad visited three addresses in New Plymouth on Wednesday night. Smith was found in a shed and surrendered quietly.

A small-calibre firearm at the address would be sent to the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) for urgent forensic tests.

Mr Hollewand said the firearm could "potentially" be the strongest link to the murder.

Police recovered the bullet which killed Mr Vaghela and the forensic tests will establish whether it was fired from the weapon found yesterday.

Mr Hollewand said he had spoken to ESR, and its staff would test the firearm "as soon as they possibly can".

Police were speaking to Smith about his whereabouts on Sunday and his answers would require further follow-up.

The murder inquiry was ongoing and police still wanted to find "a handful" of people "actively engaged" in armed robbery in the Auckland region.

Mr Hollewand said they had not yet learned the identity of a man who held up a Pukekohe dairy on June 10.

The man was captured on security camera pointing a firearm at an employee.

Mr Hollewand said police had received calls from the public but he had not been identified.

* Smith appeared before Judge Louis Bidois in New Plymouth District Court yesterday charged with three offences relating to the aggravated robbery of the Bucklands Beach Superette on June 5.

He was charged with rendering David Ian Lamb incapable of resistance while committing an aggravated robbery, aggravated robbery and robbing Gundip Singh of $2500.

Smith, red-eyed and with spiky yellow hair, stood handcuffed in the dock flanked by police.

He was remanded without plea to reappear in Manukau District Court next week.