Police are searching for a 26-year-old man after a taxi driver was shot and injured in Wellington at the weekend.
Dylan Nuku is described as being armed and dangerous. Members of the public should not approach if they see him, but call 111 immediately.
Detective Senior Sergeant Warwick McKee said a number of search warrants had been carried out today, and officers were continuing to actively search for him.
He had a simple message for Nuku, appealing for him to hand himself in.
“Come forward to speak to police.”
A taxi driver was shot in the suburb of Miramar on Saturday night, after what police said was a fare dispute. The male driver was shot in the shoulder while he was in his cab on Stone St about 9.10pm.
The driver had taken a man and a woman from Courtenay Place to Stone St, where the dispute happened.
After being shot the taxi driver managed to drive to a nearby service station to get help. He was taken to Wellington Hospital with moderate injuries.
Over the weekend, Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leitch said the incident had “a staggering level of violence”.
“This type of crime is unusual for Wellington and we want to reassure the community that police are focused on finding those responsible and recovering the weapon.”
Capital Taxis Director Tim Lauagiagi said a driver getting shot on the job was completely unacceptable.
He said this sort of thing didn’t usually happen in New Zealand and he was working alongside police to find the people involved.
Lauagiagi says the taxi driver had been working for the company for more than five years and was a very experienced driver.
While anyone who sees Nuku should immediately call 111, anyone with other information about the case can call the inquiry team at (04) 381-2000.
Anyone who has information but wishes to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555-111.
