A suburban liquor store worker was forced to his knees at gunpoint by two men who made off with two boxes of alcohol on Thursday night and yesterday afternoon, a man suffered a head injury in an armed incident in a central city shop.
Police are revealing little about yesterday's incident but Springfield Liquor worker Simran Singh spoke to The Daily Post about his ordeal on Thursday night.
He was working at Springfield Liquor on Otonga Rd when two men tried to leave the store without paying for two boxes of alcohol and he was threatened with a pistol.
Still in shock yesterday, Mr Singh said everything happened really quickly.
"They came in at 6.58pm, went to the chiller and pulled out two boxes of alcohol," he said of Thursday night's incident.
"The next thing I know, one is running out of the store with the alcohol and the other is pointing a gun at me."
Mr Singh said he was afraid he would get shot.
"It was like something out of the movies. I was so scared. I am still in shock."
He said he was unable to sleep worrying about what had happened.
"I haven't slept. Every time I close my eyes I see them pointing the gun at me."
Mr Singh said he worked at the liquor store part-time but in the nine months the family had owned the suburban shop there had been five incidents when the store had either been broken into and burgled or robbed while someone was at work.
"We are definitely getting extra security," he said.
"It was lucky that I was able to hit the panic alarm when the men came in last night."
Rotorua Police are looking for two men in connection with the robbery.
Detective Leonie Smith of the Rotorua police said Mr Singh was forced to his knees before the two offenders ran off towards Old Taupo Road.
"The shop attendant was not injured but it was a frightening experience and police were keen to find the pair as soon as possible," she said.
The man who tried to leave the store with the alcohol was described as a Maori or Polynesian between 155cm and 182cm tall, of solid build with broad shoulders. He was wearing a sleeveless white hoody, a light grey long-sleeved top, light blue jeans and black and white sneakers and was aged 25 to 30.
The man with the gun was a fair-skinned Maori or Polynesian of slim to medium build and height. He was believed to be aged between 17 and 30 and was wearing a black sleeveless vest, dark brown t-shirt, black cap, light brown trousers and blue and white shoes.
"If anyone was in the vicinity of the liquor store at this time and saw the male offenders please contact Rotorua police," Ms Smith said.
"Someone may know who these two men are, or [may] have heard people talking about such an incident."
Yesterday, police were called to an incident at Moshims Discount House in Rotorua's central city.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper confirmed Rotorua police were investigating an armed incident there but said he couldn't reveal any details about what happened.
Police were called to the shop about 2.30pm and the shop remained closed until about 3pm.
Workers at a nearby store, who did not want to be identified, said they heard fighting in the shop before police and an ambulance arrived.
One woman who was in the store around the time the incident happened said everyone was okay but one man had minor head injuries.
"I went in just after it happened," she said.
"It looked like one of the men had been hit on the head."
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Rotorua police on (07) 348 0099. Anonymous calls can be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.