Wellington police are investigating a spike of aggravated robberies during drug deals.
Police say both sellers and buyers of various drugs have been the victims of the thefts and assaults, which often occur during drug deals organised through social media.
Detective Senior Sergeant Haley Ryan said while the sale and purchase of prohibited substances is illegal, everyone in the community deserves to feel safe.
"Just because someone has committed a crime, it doesn't mean police won't investigate when a crime, like assault and robbery has happened to them in turn.
"The theft of a prohibited substance is still theft and that accompanied by persons being assaulted or threatened are serious matters.
"Police will investigate any reports that someone has been victimised as such."
Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan says many of the robberies took place after sales using the social media app Discord.
"There have been at least 10 instances in the past six months where theft or assault has occurred after drug deals arranged through social media apps."
Police advise people to take extreme caution in arranging to meet people they don't know and also at locations they are not familiar with.
