Police in Hamilton have arrested a 45-year-old man following the aggravated
robbery of a Hamilton pharmacy and burglary of a Hamilton gas station and
earlier this week.

At about 4.20pm on Tuesday, February 22 a man walked into the pharmacy in
Hamilton East and allegedly threatened staff stating he had a firearm.

He passed staff a note requesting several drugs. Staff followed the man's
demands handing over several medications before the man fled the store.

Later that evening Police were alerted to a burglary at a service station in
Whatawhata. The front glass window was broken, and numerous items were taken.

Officers responded swiftly and located a vehicle leaving the scene. They
signalled for the vehicle to stop but the driver failed to do so.

The vehicle was later seen driving erratically, crossing onto the wrong side
of the road, and narrowly missing a bridge near Pirongia.

No pursuit was initiated but through a coordinated police effort the vehicle
was subsequently spiked and came to a stop where the man was taken into
custody without incident.

Located in the vehicle were several items from the gas station burglary along
with medications believed to be linked to the earlier pharmacy robbery.

The Hamilton man is facing several charges of burglary and driving offences,
along with aggravated robbery from October 2021.

He was due to appear in Hamilton District Court on Thursday 24 February.

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