Hunt for armed robbers continues

Press, 1 July 1978, Page 3

Hunt for armed robbers continues

I PA Wellington ' The Wellington police conI tinued an extensive hunt yes- ! terday for three men who robbed a man at gunpoint of a “significant” payroll, in the car-park adjacent to a shop in suburban Newtown yesterday.

The police have not released the amount taken, but Radio New Zealand reports that the amount is between $2OOO and $3OOO. The robbers, one of whom was carrying a rifle, had ordered an employee of John Henderson, Ltd, in Riddiford Street to hand over a satchel he was carrying, the police said.

The three got away in a white Vauxhall car which was later found abandoned in nearby 7 Hatiatai. It was believed the robbers then changed to a white 1978 Marina, which was stolen from a Wellington car-sales yard on Tuesday night, the police said.

The armed robbery is the third in Wellington in the last 10 days. On June 21, the Wellington Savings Bank in Newtown was robbed of about $lOOO and on June 23 the Kilbirnie branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia was robbed of about $5OOO.