16 Apr 2023

Men arrested in Waikato after stealing cars in Auckland

1:34 pm on 16 April 2023
A police car

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Three men have been arrested in Waikato after stealing two cars in Auckland and fleeing police.

Area Commander Inspector Will Loughrin said the burglarly took place at a residential address on Gladstone Road in Parnell around 7:35am on Sunday.

Two cars, including a Porsche, were stolen from the address and driven towards Waikato.

Loughrin said police found one of the cars near Morrinsville around 8:30am but did not start pursuing it.

Instead, cordons were put around the area and the Eagle helicopter kept an eye on the car's movements from the sky.

The car was watched as it travelled across the northern Hamilton and Taupiri area, Loughrin said.

"Police managed the traffic to mitigate risk to motorists and deployed road spikes which resulted in the vehicle coming to a stop near the Taupiri Expressway on-ramp.

"The offenders then fled the scene on foot however, they were taken into custody a short time later."

Police are still searching for the second car that was stolen.

The three men arrested, aged 30, 31 and 36, were charged with a number of dishonesty and driving related offences, Loughrin said.

They were expected to appear in Hamilton District Court on Monday.