Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Two pupils at a rural Auckland school were robbed by an armed trio on Thursday afternoon while waiting to be picked up by their families.
The two men who committed the robbery and their female getaway driver remain at large as of Saturday afternoon.
Police say two men approached the pupils of ACG Strathallan on Clevedon Rd in the rural Auckland village south of the city, demanding they hand over their money and mobile phones.
One of the men presented a gun during the robbery.
They absconded with the pupils' phones in a white or silver station wagon driven by a woman, a police spokeswoman said.
The ACG pupils had taken a bus from the private, co-educational school in Karaka to Clevedon.
They were waiting to be picked up by their family from Clevedon Village Hall, according to an email to parents after the incident from executive principal Danny O'Connor obtained by the Herald.
"While they were waiting, they were approached by three people who demanded their money and phones, and one of them revealed that they were carrying a gun," his email said.
"Thankfully, the students involved in this incident are safe and weren't physically harmed. This is a very serious incident which has been reported to the police.
"The police are investigating this incident, and we are hopeful that the perpetrators of this crime are caught as soon as possible.
"This is an unprecedented event, and we appreciate that this information will come as a shock to you, our students, and the wider community."
O'Connor said the bus route would run as usual, but urged parents to take the additional safety precaution of waiting to be picked up at the Clevedon Dairy.
"Our thoughts are with the victims of this traumatic incident, and we will work with them to ensure that they receive the support they need over the coming days and weeks."
The Herald is seeking comment from ACG and O'Connor.
Police urged anyone with information to contact police by calling 105 or going online to 105.police.govt.nz using 'Update Report', and quoting the file number 230316/0760.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.