This Ruakaka gas station was burgled yesterday morning with thieves attempting to smash through a secure cigarette cabinet. Photo / John Stone
This Ruakaka gas station was burgled yesterday morning with thieves attempting to smash through a secure cigarette cabinet. Photo / John Stone
A spate of break-ins and robberies targeting cigarettes could be because of the price hike in cigarettes, says the manager of a service station which was burgled yesterday.
Thieves smashed their way into Gasoline Alley Ruakaka, on State Highway 15A, early yesterday morning using a crowbar.
They made off with cash and petrol vouchers after a failed attempt at stealing cigarettes from a secure cabinet.
Cigarettes are a prized commodity and there's a risk they will be targeted.
The burglary comes after Parua Bay Gasoline Alley was ram-raided on Tuesday - its second break-in in a week with cigarettes being stolen when it was burgled on Wednesday last week.
There have been at least eight burglaries and robberies of commercial premises targeting cigarettes in Northland in the past three months - not all successful.
Siv, manager of Gasoline Alley Ruakaka, woke up at 5am yesterday to a voicemail left by a security company at 3am to let him know the station's alarm was going off.
"I shot here and I saw the broken glass - they left bolt cutters here and a few drops of blood so police came to get samples. When we saw it we thought 'oh a [burglary], they must have got smokes'," he said.
Siv said he believed the cigarette price hike, which saw tobacco prices increase 10 per cent on January 1 - the fourth consecutive yearly 10 per cent hike - contributed to the number of burglaries and robberies targeting cigarettes.
The tax on tobacco will continue to rise by 10 per cent on January 1 for the next four years, meaning a pack of 20 will rise from about $20 now to around $30 in 2020.
"It's expensive, it's not easy to afford," Siv said.
He said he had been wondering if they would be next after the recent spate and said yesterday's burglary showed the importance of having good CCTV and a secure cigarette cabinet.
Whangarei Detective Senior Sergeant Dene Begbie said police believe at least three people were involved and they fled the scene in a stolen Subaru Impreza.
"Cigarettes are a prized commodity and there's a risk they will be targeted," Mr Begbie said.
"In light of recent events we'd like to remind petrol stations of the importance of ensuring good, preventative security measures are in place, such as working CCTV cameras and alarms systems, securely locked windows and doors, and well-lit premises," he said.
Mr Begbie said police are not ruling out the possibility that yesterday's burglary and the two recent break-ins at Parua Bay service station are linked.
Siv showed the Northern Advocate CCTV footage of the incident. One person has attempted to cut open the lock on the secure cabinet but after failing he then smashed the cabinet door with the bolt cutters but failed to gain access.
CCTV footage shows a burglar inside the Ruakaka Gasoline Alley service station.
They spent about three minutes trying to get into the cabinet and after failing managed to get away with cash and vouchers.
"I'm stressed, but I can't say I'm angry. If it happens again I will be," Siv said.
"I think they are the young ones. They should make strict rules and teach them a good lesson so they won't do it again, they need to be more strict," Siv said.
Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Tony Collins said any theft or robbery would affect a business.
"It's potentially putting staff at risk and disrupting trading. I guess if it's a robbery that's happened, that can impact on staff and they might find it's not worthwhile and if that does happen it can impact the whole community," he said.
Mr Collins said generally it was the disruption caused by these incidents that affected business owners, particularly if a store had to close for a day like the Parua Bay service station did.
While the manager of the Parua Bay service station said the station would no longer sell cigarettes, Siv said the Ruakaka station would continue selling them.
"We don't make a lot of money from the cigarettes but it is what brings people through," he said.
