A Masterton dairy owner has been left shaken after three masked intruders robbed his shop on Saturday night.
Bhupen Maisuriya, the owner of The New Super Store on Upper Plain Rd, said the three armed intruders entered the dairy as it was closing at about 8pm.
He was not in the shop at the time but said a single staff member was on duty.
Two of the three were armed, one with a hammer and one with a screwdriver, which they dropped as they ran away with the till. Maisuriya estimated the incident took about five minutes.
The staff member ran out of the back door and was uninjured.
A police spokesperson confirmed they arrested three youths on Saturday in relation to the robbery.
“There were no injuries during the incident, but the staff member was understandably shaken,” they said.
Maisuriya said this was the first time in 12 years of owning the shop that an incident like this had happened. “It was scary.”
He thanked locals for all their messages of support.
The shop closed for a few hours yesterday morning but reopened at 1pm. Police have appealed to people in the area for information about the incident or those involved.
“It is pleasing that we have been able to make these arrests quickly. We know these incidents are extremely concerning for our community, especially business owners.
“These crimes will not be tolerated, and police are committed to ensuring that those responsible for crimes such as this will be held to account,” they said.
Enquiries into the incident are ongoing, and police have not ruled out additional arrests.
People who saw anything suspicious in the area around the time of the incident can call 105, or make a report online using Update My Report, quoting event number P053381771.
Information can also be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
