One Army Rifle Stolen In Waiouru

Please note corrections to previous release with our apologies:

- no ammunition stolen

- One kilometre from Desert Road

- Army officer and a soldier

- Webbing taken did not contain ammunition

- Time closer to 3am

A New Zealand Army Steyr rifle was stolen from the back of a Land Rover while the vehicle’s occupants were asleep, near Waiouru early this morning. The Land Rover was parked on Defence land around one kilometre from the Desert Road.

Two soldiers were sleeping in the vehicle while on an army exercise on Defence Land, and were awoken when an unknown person reached into the Land Rover and removed a rifle from the weapons rack. A set of webbing which was also taken. One of the soldiers gave chase, and the offender fled towards a parked vehicle, and then drove off in the direction of State Highway One. Neither soldier was injured.

New Zealand Police and Military Police are conducting a joint investigation into the incident, which happened at around 3:00am this morning.

ENDS

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