A gunman believed to be responsible for several holdups in two small communities near Auckland remains on the loose.
Police are investigating four holdups in Orewa and Riverhead from April 9 to May 2, Detective Sergeant Roger Small said.
"There is a possibility that two of the robberies are connected, and that is something we're looking into as there were some similarities," Mr Small said.
He would not go into details about those similarities.
"We've got lots of CCTV footage which was shown on last night's Police Ten-7 programme, which has given us some good positive leads," Mr Small said.
The four incidents include one attack where the frightened victim made a desperate plea for help into a live security camera, as he was being tied up by a gunman on April 25.
The victim, who was a golf instructor at the New Sky Driving Range on the Coatesville-Riverhead highway, tried to get his boss' attention.
The robber demanded cash and the instructor emptied the till and also gave the man money from his wallet.
His hands were taped behind his back, and he was pushed to the ground as the gunman left. The gunman also stole a bag of golf clubs worth about $1800 on his way out.
The next day, a 20-year-old was in his car outside McDonald's in Orewa when a Maori youth, aged about 17, got into the passenger seat.
He pointed a gun at the man, who jumped out of his vehicle to try and distract the shooter.
The robber got into a white Toyota Hiace van, which had stolen licence plates and had been used in several drive-off petrol thefts just before the incident, and made his get away with three others, police said.
The same McDonald's was targeted again this week. A man walked into the restaurant, pointed a pistol at staff behind the counter and told them to get face-down on the floor.
He told the manager to take him to the store's safe, and kept the gun pointed at her while she put cash into a plastic shopping bag. He then left through the back door.
Police dog handlers tracked him but lost his scent.
A robbery at the Halertau restaurant and bar on the Coatesville-Riverhead highway, on April 11, was also being investigated.
The manager was in the office counting the daily takings when a man burst into the room and pointed a pistol at her. He got away with $1000.
Anyone with information about these incidents should contact police on (09) 427 4532.
