Five men arrested for armed robbery over weekend [1]
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - 17:56. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Five men remain in custody after an armed robbery at a Chinese shop in Ma'ufanga on Saturday night, April 28, led to arrests the following day.
Acting Police Commissioner Lau'aitu Tupouniua said this morning, that the men did not disguise their faces with masks but wore hoods over their heads when they allegedly committed the crime.
She said that offenders armed with two small knives had held up two Chinese shopkeepers, a man and woman, at 8:00pm on Saturday.
The Chinese shop located on By-Pass Road at Ma'ufanga did not have any customers at this time, and police believed that the offenders must have been watching before they made their move.
Lau'aitu said it was fortunate that the shopkeepers were not injured during the hold-up, and it was pleasing that the police investigation had led to some immediate arrests.
The first man was arrested on Sunday April 29, which followed the arrests of the other four men in Nuku'alofa. "I understand initial charges must have already been laid against them, but they are still being kept in police custody while police continue their investigation," she said.