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One man’s afternoon nap quickly turned into a court appearance after police found two loaded firearms in his vehicle in Mt Wellington.
A police unit patrolling near Sylvia Park around 3.30pm came across the man slumped over the wheel of his vehicle. Senior Sergeant Steve Albrey, Counties Manukau West Area Response Manager, said officers initially stopped to check whether he was experiencing a medical emergency.
“Our officers wanted to make sure the man wasn’t experiencing a medical emergency and whether he needed any help,” he said.
However, when officers approached the vehicle, they spotted a double-barrel shotgun, cocked open, along with a broken meth pipe in the front passenger footwell. The man was woken and arrested.
A further search of the vehicle uncovered more illicit items.
“Officers located a .22 calibre Ruger in the back footwell which had 10 rounds in the magazine,” Albrey said.
“Alongside the firearm were 60 additional rounds, which is some serious firepower.”
Subsequent enquiries revealed one of the firearms had been reported stolen.
“This was a good catch by our staff by being in the right place at the right time,” Albrey said.
“What started out as concern for a person’s wellbeing led to these items being taken off the street, and an alleged offender having to answer to his actions in court.”
A 42-year-old man will appear in the Manukau District Court today charged with four counts of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
