A man has been charged as investigations continue into an armed robbery at a Hunter hotel.
Police have confirmed two masked men – one armed with a handgun and the other with a meat cleaver – entered a licensed premises on Main Road at Cardiff just after midnight yesterday.
They proceeded to threaten two employees, a 25-year-old man and 52-year-old woman, before stealing a cash register and fleeing the scene.
Police were told the pair left in a blue Ford Falcon sedan and were last seen travelling east on Main Street.
Although shaken, the hotel employees were thankfully uninjured.
Inquiries into the incident have commenced under Strike Force Hawksview. As part of investigations, officers executed search warrants in Wallsend, Maryland and a New Lambton hotel room from 9 o’clock last night.
During the searches, investigators seized a blue Ford Falcon, a motorcycle, ammunition, clothing, a firearm part, a small quantity of methylamphetamine, and other items relevant to the investigation. All of the items will now undergo forensic examination.
Following further inquiries, a 32-year-old man was arrested at a Wallsend address and taken to Newcastle Police Station.
He was charged with five offences and refused bail to front Toronto Local Court on February 1.
Police will allege he was one of two people involved in the armed robbery at the hotel in Cardiff.
More arrests are expected under Strike Force Hawksview in coming days.
