Arrest made as firearm found during traffic stop

Police say they’ve taken another firearm out of the community after a traffic stop early this morning Wednesday.

Just before 2.30am, a frontline police unit stopped a vehicle on Carbine Road in Mt Wellington.

“The vehicle was sought by police and as staff were speaking with the driver, they noticed a baseball bat in the footwell of the car,” says inspector Rachel Dolheguy, the Auckland City East Police’s area prevention manager.

“A further search of the vehicle was invoked and uncovered a sawn-off shotgun in the vehicle’s backseat.”

Attending police staff also located ammunition for the firearm.

Police have since towed the vehicle and the driver was arrested.

A 27-year-old man is due to appear in the Auckland District Court on March 11 on a raft of charges.

“It’s a great result from the nightshift public safety team in taking another firearm out of the community and its potential use for future offending,” Dolheguy says.