Supplied
A student was injured in an altercation with a robber wearing a high-visibility police vest.
A man has been arrested after reports international students were robbed by intruders wearing high-visibility police vests.
The 32-year-old man was arrested in Auckland’s Manurewa on Friday after the incident in Birkenhead on April 13.
He was charged with aggravated assault, kidnapping, committing a burglary with a weapon and impersonating police.
The offenders produced a fake search warrant before stealing between $25,000 and $30,000 worth of belongings from the students’ home, they said in April.
READ MORE:
* Fake police officers steal $25k worth of belongings from Auckland University students after conducting ‘search warrant’
They were reportedly wearing fluorescent yellow high-visibility vests with two stripes on the sides of the shoulders and police labelling on the left breast and on the back.
Waitematā east area investigations manager Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Poland said police were continuing to support the victims of the incident.
”We hope this arrest will bring reassurance to them as well as the Birkenhead community.”
Police were still searching for the police vests the intruders were reportedly wearing, he said.
They couldn’t yet confirm if it was a legitimate police uniform.
“We reiterate that, in general, police staff will be clearly identifiable in uniform and will be carrying police identification that can be presented upon request.
Supplied
The aftermath of the alleged robbery in Birkenhead.
“We advise anyone who is dealing with a representative or agency to question their identification if they are unsure.”
Auckland University student Jackson, who requested only his first name be used due to safety concerns, said the uniforms the men were wearing looked real so he trusted them.
Jackson, who believed they were real police officers, “did everything they said”.
After realising they were “fake police officers”, he ran out of the house, but tripped and fell.
One of the robbers pointed a gun to his head, he said.
Jackson was also hurt during the altercation.
“I still can’t move my wrist, it’s very painful.
“I was also hit on the back of my head, so I’ve been dizzy for two or three days,” he said.
The arrested man would appear in the North Shore District Court on Thursday.
Poland said a number of police inquiries were still underway.
