Police plea over break-ins

This man couldn't wait for Kamo Four Square to open before breaking in and taking cigarettes. Photo / Northland Police

Police have released photos of a suspected thief after $5000 worth of cigarettes and tobacco was taken from a Northland supermarket four months ago.

Police have released a security camera photo with details of the theft at Kamo Four Square in March on their Facebook page. A second post also highlighted photos from a burglary at Oakleigh back in April that was believed to target tobacco products as well.

A security camera picture of a man attempting to smash his way into Oakleigh service station.

Police said on the Northland Police Facebook page that the release of the photos from March and April came after recent break-ins at "a number of service stations" and they were "working hard to solve this current spate of offending in the wider Whangarei area".

Yesterday, a police spokesperson said the footage was not released straight away as a number of inquiries were to be made first.

"In general it is not uncommon for police to not release CCTV footage immediately whilst investigations are under way," police said.

Police believe a front window of Kamo Four Square was jemmied about 2.40am on March 29.

The thief took $5000 worth of cigarettes after drawers were forced open.

Last Thursday thieves smashed their way into Gasoline Alley Ruakaka using a crowbar. They took petrol vouchers after failing to steal cigarettes.

The burglary comes after Parua Bay Gasoline Alley was ram-raided last Tuesday - its second break-in in a week with cigarettes stolen when it was burgled the previous Wednesday.

Northern Advocate records show there have been at least eight burglaries and robberies of commercial premises targeting cigarettes in Northland in the past three months.

Police said the Kamo Four Square case and the Gasoline Alley incidents were not connected.