Police have charged one man and are looking for a second after a brazen robbery at Cardiff earlier this week.
At about 12:20am on Tuesday, its alleged two masked men armed with a handgun and a meat cleaver, went into a licensed premises on Main Road and threatened two employees, a 52-year-old man and a woman aged 25.
The masked duo took a cash register and fled in a blue coloured Ford Falcon sedan which was last seen heading east on Main Street.
The employees were shaken, but uninjured.
Lake Macquarie Police District officers started investigations, before the matter was referred to the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad under Strike Force Hawksview.
Three search warrants were conducted in Wallsend, Maryland and a New Lambton hotel room on Tuesday night where police seized a blue Ford Falcon, a motorcycle, ammunition, clothing, a firearm part, a small quantity of methylamphetamine and other items.
Following extensive inquiries, a 32-year-old man was arrested at the Wallsend address and taken to Newcastle Police Station where he was charged with five offences including robbery while armed with dangerous weapon, possess prohibited drug, acquire firearm part without authority to do so, drive motor vehicle during disqualification period, and possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit.
Police will allege in court that the man was one of two responsible for the armed robbery of the hotel in Cardiff.
He was refused bail and appeared at Newcastle Local Court where he was formally refused bail to appear in court again in February.
Further arrests under Strike Force Hawksview are expected with one other man still on the run.
Image credit: NSW Police Force