By 3 News online staff
Police have arrested convicted criminal Dolphy Kohu after a monstrous manhunt in the Ruapehu district today.
Kohu and two others have been apprehended at a checkpoint in Waiouru, at around 9:20pm.
A number of firearms have been recovered from their vehicle.
Police say the arrests happened "without incident" at a roadblock at the junction of SH1 and SH49.
"These arrests come after some great work from police staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the day to locate Mr Kohu," says Superintendent Sue Schwalger.
"I'm pleased that there was no further violence involved against police staff and that our communities will have the security of knowing Mr Kohu has been apprehended tonight."
She says more work will need to be done to piece together exactly what Kohu and his associates, a man and a woman, have been doing in the past 24 hours.
All three are being taken to the Ohakune police station for questioning.
Dozens of armed police have been hunting Kohu since early this morning. While they hunted, roadblocks were set up across the Ruapehu district and people were told to stay inside.
Earlier tonight police took two people away from a house he was associated with in Ohakune. A woman was also arrested.
Kohu went on the run after police in Whanganui spotted the suspect's car and what they describe as 'suspicious activity' at about 2:30am.
The driver of the car wouldn't stop, and so police chased it all the way to Raetihi where it came to an abrupt halt after apparently collecting a fence.
Officers were shot at when they approached the vehicle, and they retreated. While they took cover, the offenders stole the police car and drove off.
The police car was eventually dumped eight kilometres away while Kohu and his associates fled in another vehicle.
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