25 May 2011

Trio sought after crime spree in capital

3:39 pm on 25 May 2011

Police are searching for three men believed to be responsible for a crime spree in the city overnight involving Molotov cocktails thrown at a Wellington police station.

Four burglaries and another arson were also committed in the city overnight on Tuesday.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Dunn says the crimes include a Molotov cocktail attack on the Karori community policing base, a car arson in Kelburn, a ram-raid at a Brooklyn liquor store and two burglaries at businesses in the Hutt Valley and Kaiwharawhara.

Police say four Molotov cocktails were thrown into the station but all burnt out without causing major damage.

Officers are also investigating the link to another burglary of Wellington Mowers and Chainsaws early on Monday.

Mr Dunn says police are looking for three men and a stolen red 2002 Subaru Legacy station wagon that was used during Tuesday's spree.

The men were wearing black-hooded sweatshirts and are described as male Europeans in their 20s.

Police say eyewitnesses saw the ram-raid in Brooklyn, in which more than 100 bottles of liquor and other alcohol was loaded into the red Subaru.

Police want to hear from anyone who is offered Husquvarna chainsaws, weedeaters, or cheap liquor.

Meanwhile, in Palmerston North, police are still investigating an arson at the Highbury police station on Monday.