Armed robbers again target Hamilton petrol stations

Offenders drove a white Nissan Pulsar stationwagon through the doors of Caltex Dinsdale overnight. Photo / Belinda Feek

Police say the two aggravated robberies and a ram raid of Hamilton petrol stations early today are all linked.

Lincoln St and Glenview BP service stations were hit, and the offenders drove a white Nissan Pulsar station wagon through the doors of Caltex Dinsdale.

Cigarettes and cash were the target in each robbery, which all happened between 2am and 3am today.

Detective Sergeant Scott Neilson said although none of the victims suffered physical injuries in these related incidents, it would have been a very frightening situation for all of them.

Waikato Senior Sergeant Phil Ruddell said no BP staff were injured in either robbery, and the Caltex was closed at the time and unstaffed.

BP Lincoln was first hit at 2.18am, followed by Caltex Dinsdale at 2.22am when "multiple alarms" were activated. Two offenders have smashed their way inside and failed in their attempt to get access to the cigarettes.

The group have then hit BP Glenview at 2.52am.

He praised BP staff for following procedure and locking themselves away as the offenders grabbed their loot.

Ruddell said eagle-eyed staff at BP Ngaruawahia spotted the offending vehicle heading north and phoned police who were on its tail within a minute.

Police gave chase but eventually lost the car in road works on State Highway 1 at Ohinewai.

Three men were involved in each break-in. They were armed with a hammer and a tomahawk, Ruddell said.

Ruddell said the large number of petrol stations, dairies, takeaway restaurants being subjected to violent, armed robberieswas just as frustrating for police to attend as it was for members of the public to read about. However, they were making arrests.

"Police are making arrests in relation to a number of robberies, but there are still other offenders out there."

Neilson said the first offender was described as a teenage male, slim build and slightly taller than 1.6m. The second offender was also a teenage male, a similar height to the first offender and of slim build.

A 19-year-old Hamilton man appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday after the aggravated robbery of a dairy in Waihou on Monday night in which cigarettes and cash were taken.

Arrests had also been made after a liquor store robbery in Dinsdale and McDonald's Rototuna.

"Any crime can be frustrating to solve but the police are working with our forensic experts, the victims and the witnesses of these crimes," Ruddell said.

He said it was unclear why criminals were targeting Waikato businesses at such a frenetic rate.

Otorohanga Honda was also burgled about 1.20am today and four motorcycles stolen, but that was not connected to the aggravated robberies, Ruddell said.

A police pursuit around the streets of Dinsdale about 2.30am was also not connected to the robberies.

Anyone with information about the robberies or the burglary in Otorohanga is urged to call Hamilton police on (07) 858 6200.