Auckland crime: Vapeys stores have been robbed 12 times with staff sexually assaulted, threatened at knifepoint

An overnight Auckland vape store robbery marks the 12th time the network of shops have been hit by ramraids and armed robberies, its owners say - with attacks including staff allegedly being held at knife point and sexually assaulted.

During last night’s robbery of Vapeys on Stoddard Rd in Mt Roskill, criminals stole an employee’s car and gold chain while also making off with vapes and cash.

Security camera footage shows at least five criminals pulling up in a blue car at about 9.50pm.

Four men can then be seen opening the doors and bursting from the car before it comes to a standstill.

Rushing into the store, some leap over the counter as they dash past a customer and begin stealing vapes and cash.

”I was working alongside our other staff, I heard yelling from outside, four people came running, all masked,” the owner of the Vapeys network of shops said.

His team quickly retreated to the storeroom out the back, he said.

“They stole all the money out of our till, they then came inside our storeroom and threatened my staff for his gold chain and car keys.“

Then they stole his car, the owner said.

”We called the cops, we were on the phone for 10-15 minutes to them.”

He claimed the police officer on the phone said they’d show up in five minutes.

“But no one did. I saw cop cars going here and there, I was waving at them. I tried to wave at them - they finally came,” the man claimed.

”They got away with lots of cash and vapes - they were grabbing loads of them at a time [vapes].

“It was very bad, just very bad,” the owner said.

Police said they are investigating reports of “a group entering the premises on Stoddard Rd”.

“Staff were in at the store at the time however no injuries have been reported. Police are providing support to those staff members who are understandably shaken.”

A staff member from Vapeys Mt Roskill had their car stolen after four criminals robbed the shop overnight. Photo / Hayden Woodward

The robbery marked the 12th time Vapeys stores across Auckland and Hamilton have been hit.

The previous attack took place just last week at Vapeys on Central Park Dr in Henderson, West Auckland, the owner said.

On that occasion, an armed criminal began sexually assaulting a female staff member while staff were locked at knife-point, the owner claimed.

”There were four of us in the [Henderson] store at the time. Three people rushed in, armed with knives and hammers.“

”They locked us [staff] into the kitchen - there were three of us and a female worker.”

The owner said the criminals then started searching the staff.

“One of the guys was more sexual - he wasn’t searching us but touching and touching and searching the girl. I told him, ‘Hey, that’s not OK - stop’,” the owner said.

“He [the armed criminal] was touching her, and we were at the stage where they were going to hurt her, us guys we were screaming at them not to hurt her.”

The owner said the traumatised female worker quit after the robbery.

”She no longer works with us because of this incident.“

He claimed police told him the criminals were youths, out on bail for other crimes.

”They were out offending, already on bail and still offending,“ the man claimed.

Another worker from Mt Roskill Vapeys told the Herald about some of the other times Vapeys stores have been robbed.

”Our Panmure store has suffered four ram raids alone, causing thousands in damage each time,” the worker said.

”Our stores in Silverdale and Hamilton have also been hit.”

“We’ve applied for help with fog cannons from the Government multiple times, but we keep being declined as we operate more than two stores.”

Anyone with footage or information that may assist police investigating last night’s robbery is asked to contact them via the 105 phone service or online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using Update My Report.

Please reference file number 230525/3613.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.