Manukau Pak’nSave security guard Laki Savelio sentenced for extorting accused shoplifters
A former security guard at a Pak’nSave supermarket in New Zealand has been sentenced for extorting money from shoppers he falsely accused of theft. The incident included a degrading act where the guard forced a cucumber into a victim's mouth.
Why it matters
This case highlights severe misconduct by private security personnel and the legal consequences of abusing authority in a retail setting.
Former supermarket security guard Laki Savelio accused shoppers of stealing and extorted money from them in January 2025. Photo / NZME
A man who went through a supermarket self-checkout without scanning several items had a cucumber forced into his mouth by a security guard who then extorted money from him.
Security guards Laki Savelio and his co-offender Tiare Bishop accused several victims of shoplifting and extorted money from them at the Pak’nSave where they worked in January last year .
Savelio, 24, was sentenced in Manukau District Court this week for his role, which included a “degrading” act with a cucumber.
He and Bishop were employees of Retail Theft Control Security (RTC), which was contracted to provide security services to the Manukau, South Auckland, supermarket at the time.
Bishop has pleaded guilty to her role in the offending and will be sentenced in October.
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