Five youths are among those arrested for a brazen daylight smash-and-grab at Auckland's St Lukes mall last week.
An 18-year-old man was also arrested over the Stewart Dawsons jewellery store robbery at St Lukes just after 5pm last Tuesday, September 20.
"These six alleged offenders, along with two other youths, have also been charged with conspiring to commit aggravated robbery after the group was found by police in two vehicles in East Auckland on Monday night," police said in a statement today.
"A quantity of jewellery and other evidential items were located by the investigation team during a subsequent search of the vehicles.
"All eight alleged offenders arrested overnight will appear in the Auckland District Court and youth courts respectively in due course."
Police believe the group might be responsible for other robberies around Auckland.
Six young people have also been arrested after the robbery of a Hamilton bottle store last night.
"Police were called to the store in Borman Road in Flagstaff about 6:50pm yesterday to reports the store had been robbed," police said.
"Offenders had entered the store on foot armed with weapons including machetes, tyre irons, and screwdrivers.
"They threatened the shopkeepers with the weapons and made off in two vehicles."
Police later caught the alleged offenders and recovered weapons they believe were used in the robbery.
Two of the young people were due in Hamilton Youth Court today, while the four others are due in court tomorrow.
In total, police say they have arrested 14 young people for suspected involvement in recent Auckland and Waikato commercial aggravated robberies.
SHARE ME