Bay of Plenty ram raid, burglary arrests: Two men face 15 charges

Police have arrested two men and laid 15 charges against them. Photo / Bevan Conley

Police have arrested two men after a series of ram raids and burglaries around Bay of Plenty and Waikato this month.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson said in a statement that police investigating an aggravated burglary of a commercial premises in Kawerau early yesterday morning made two arrests.

The arrested men, aged 24 and 19, were arrested after allegedly failing to stop for police in Opotiki yesterday.

They have been charged with aggravated burglary and failing to stop in relation to that incident, and also charged with nine other burglaries and arsons.

Police allege the men were involved in:

- A burglary of Port Ohope Store and Café on August 2.
- The burglary of the Edgecumbe Central Vape store in Riverslea Mall in Edgecumbe on August 2.
- The arson of a stolen vehicle on August 2.
- The burglary of the Rotoma Gas Station on August 10.
- The burglary of the Warehouse in Whakatāne on August 16.
- The burglary of the Jewlz Jewellery Store in Whakatāne on August 16.
- The burglary of the Edgecumbe Bay Vets on August 16.
- The burglary of the Awakeri Z Service Station on August 21.
- The burglary of Kawerau Paper Tech Support on August 25.
- The arson of a stolen vehicle on August 25

The pair face 15 charges including eight of burglary, two of arson, two of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, two of assault with a weapon and one of failing to stop.

Wilson said police hoped the arrests would provide "some degree of reassurance to the victims of these crimes and to the wider communities".

The two men appeared in Whakatāne Court this morning where they were remanded in custody until they next appear on August 31.

Police have not ruled out further arrests or charges.