Two men have been charged with aggravated robbery after a firearm was allegedly used to take a necklace during a Facebook Marketplace sale in Howick.
“At around 2.30pm, the ‘buyer’ approached the victim in the car park and presented a firearm,” Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Robson of Counties Manukau CIB said.
The victim had arranged to sell the necklace online on Wednesday, meeting the buyers at a supermarket car park off Union Road.
“The offender allegedly demanded the victim hand over the necklace, which he did, before the offender took it and ran on foot through the car park and was picked up by a vehicle a short distance away,” Robson said.
The vehicle was later seen by the Police Eagle helicopter in Glen Innes and followed to an address in Point England, where two men fled on foot.
One man was found inside a nearby address, and the second was tracked by a Delta Dog Unit and caught a short distance away.
A search of the address recovered the firearm and the necklace.
Both men, aged 19, appeared in the Manukau District Court on Thursday charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm, unlawfully possessing ammunition and aggravated robbery with a firearm.
“This was good work by our staff in responding quickly and tracking down both alleged offenders, where they will now be held to account,” Robson said.
“Police also want to send a timely reminder about being cautious when selling things online and arranging to meet people you don’t know,” Robson said.
