Three men and a woman arrested in an armed police operation in Wainuiomata have appeared in Lower Hutt District Court.
The arrests followed a home invasion at gunpoint of Silverstream couple Malcolm and Yvonne Wiffen on Sunday night.
At the court appearance on Saturday, two of the three men were charged with unlawfully detaining Mr and Mrs Wiffen and possession of an offensive weapon.
One, a 32-year-old man, faces a total of 34 charges including 15 counts of breaking into properties in the lower North Island between March and June.
Another faces four charges.
The third man, who hopped into court with a damaged leg, faces eight charges including intent to injure, relating to a separate case.
The three have been remanded in custody while the woman has received bail.
All were detained after Friday's major police operation in the Lower Hutt suburb of Wainuiomata.
All four received name suppression until their next court appearance, scheduled for 30 June.
The police operation in Wainuiomata on Friday involved the Armed Offenders Squad and a helicopter.
