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Robbery at jewellery store in Papatoetoe: Police arrest two more people while the attacked owner recovers at home

“The investigation team has located and taken into custody two persons of interest at different addresses,” Bright said.

Police and ambulance outside Pooja Jewellers after the armed robbery. Photo / Baljinder Randhawa Sonu
Police and ambulance outside Pooja Jewellers after the armed robbery. Photo / Baljinder Randhawa Sonu

A 16-year-old boy in Mount Roskill has been charged with aggravated robbery.

A 36-year-old woman was due to appear in the Manukau District Court today after being arrested in Mt Albert.

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Following the brutal robbery, five people have been arrested.

Last month, police initially arrested three youths aged 15, 16 and 17 and charged them with aggravated robbery with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The 16-year-old is also charged with grievous bodily harm, and the 15-year-old is also charged with bodily harm.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell visits Gurdeep Singh Luther in hospital.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell visits Gurdeep Singh Luther in hospital.

“The investigation by the police officers involved requires a lot of work,” Bright said.

“We cannot rule out that there will be further arrests or charges.”

A 33-year-old man was also arrested today at an address in Mt Albert on warrants for breaching bail conditions. He was due to appear in the Manukau District Court today.

The arrests came after about 200 business owners and protesters gathered in Papatoetoe on Tuesday demanding tougher sentences for juvenile offenders.

Protest organiser Rajesh Goel said businesses had had enough of the government’s “catch-and-let-go” policy, which allows criminals to reoffend “days after their arrest”.

Business owners protest in Papatoetoe against increasing violence and crime among young people. Photo / Dean Purcell
Business owners protest in Papatoetoe against increasing violence and crime among young people. Photo / Dean Purcell

“With this protest, we want to tell the government that enough is enough and we want stricter laws to keep these criminals off the streets so that they cannot come back and hurt us,” Goel told the Herald.

Goel said the protesters could go on hunger strike if their demands were not met.

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In protest against the violent attack on Singh and to show solidarity with other crime-affected businesses in the area, most shops in Papatoetoe remained closed between 10am and 11am on Tuesday.

Goel, president of the Auckland Indian Retailers Association, said Singh was recovering at home and was not well enough to attend the protest.