A Police dog unit was hot on the scent of four young males this morning in Miramar, which saw them taken into custody within an hour.

Police were called shortly after 2:10am to reports of multiple alarm activations minutes earlier at a store on Tauhinu Road.

Officers were on scene within five minutes, and upon arrival saw the front door smashed in and a vehicle dumped at the scene.

Another vehicle of interest was subsequently identified on traffic cameras.

A Police dog unit tracked from the initial scene to a property in Booth Street, Miramar where officers discovered the vehicle of interest, the four alleged offenders, and the large amount of alcohol they had stolen.

A 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds and a 19-year-old appeared in court in Wellington today on charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and of burglary, and have been bailed to reappear later this month.

Wellington Area Commander Inspector Dean Silvester says it’s pleasing to have identified those responsible for the burglary so quickly.

“Receiving a 111 call so promptly, and the expert work of our Police dog unit and attending frontline staff, has led to these quick arrests,” he says.

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