Truck driver threatened, forced to empty out bank account at ATM

A trucking company says a group of men threatened an employee at gunpoint, forcing him to drive to an ATM and empty out his bank account.

Police confirmed they were investigating the matter on Friday, but said no firearms were involved.

Booth's Logistics North Island regional manager, Maree Smith, said one of their truck drivers claims a group of six men followed his car into the company's Rotorua yard just after 7:30pm on Thursday.

"The car of folks followed behind him and got a hold of him, threatening him with a handgun and wanting his money.

"We had the front gate locked, but they came through the back gate and they followed him through."

She said CCTV footage showed at least three men in the yard confronting the driver, but a firearm was not visible.

She said one of the men got in the driver's car with him and told him to drive to a nearby ATM at Te Ngae Shopping Centre.

"The rest of the guys jumped back into their own vehicle, followed him out of the yard, out of the gates to the ATM machine at the shopping centre, where they cleaned out his account, and then they all just fled."

She said the employee was left there alone, and he called the police and then her, but nobody attended the scene.

She said neither the victim nor the company had been told whether any suspects had been arrested.

"It absolutely has made him fear coming back into the yard, being there by himself. He's pretty shaken up and doesn't want to come to work.

"His life was threatened. His family's money was taken. Luckily, it's his checking account, and his everyday account is all that they had access to. But still, that is $400 that he won't have anymore.

"But as a business, we're going to make sure that we put in all the safety measures that we possibly can to ensure that our people and our drivers are safe."

She wanted those responsible held accountable.

"This town's pretty small. People will recognise these guys' faces and their car."

Acting Area Commander Senior Sergeant Sam Parata told RNZ a report regarding an incident in Rotorua on Thursday night had been made to police.

"No firearms were involved, and the public aren't at risk. Police are investigating the circumstances around the incident."