Tauranga Detectives have made a second arrest in the investigation of the aggravated robberies of the Te Puke Jewellers and the Katikati Paper Plus and Post Shop.

Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner says a 22 year old unemployed male from Rotorua was last night charged with the two aggravated robberies on July 24. He will appear in the Rotorua District Court today, Monday 3 August along with a 19 year old charged on Friday night.

The Detective Senior Sergeant says enquires are continuing to locate two outstanding suspects, who he believes are also Rotorua residents.

Sunday report:
Tauranga detectives are closing in on the people they believe responsible for armed robberies in the Western Bay of Plenty last week. One man has been arrested on two charges of aggravated robbery and police are hot on the trail of three others.

Tauranga Detectives with the assistance of Rotorua Police and Armed Offenders Squad made an arrest in relation to the aggravated robberies of the Te Puke Jewellers and the Katikati Paper Plus and Post Shop on Friday 24 July.

Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner said that a 19 year old unemployed male from Rotorua was charged with the two aggravated robberies last night, and he will appear in the Rotorua District Court on Saturday 1 August.

The arrested male has also been charged with unlawful taking a vehicle from Manurewa on 23 July and the Nissan Skyline stolen on the 24 July from Mount Maunganui and alleged to have been used in the robberies.

Detective Senior Sergeant Turner said enquires were continuing locate the three other residents of Rotorua, who police believe are responsible.Police urge the public to speak up if they know any details about last week's armed robberies in Katikati and Te Puke.

EARLIER REPORT: This footage released by police, shows terrifying moments for staff at Katikati Kiwibank when they were threatened with a sawn off shotgun.



A still from security camera footage of offenders in a Western Bay of Plenty robbery on Friday, July 24.

The security camera footage during last week's armed robbery shows two of the offenders threatening staff before escaping with a minimal sum of money. The two pictured are among four who are believed to have robbed the bank just hours after robbing a Te Puke jewellery store.
Tauranga police are now intensifying their efforts to discover where the masks worn by the offenders were purchased.
Detective senior sergeant Greg Turner says the distinctive masks are made from paper mache.
'We are now intent on finding out exactly where they purchased these masks,” says Greg.
Police have received no new leads relating to the offenders and still believe the key to solving the case lay in the public's hands.
Anyone with information should contact Tauranga police, phone 07 577 4300 or 0800 SPEAK UP.