Ram raid thieves have struck again - this time smashing their way through a shop in downtown Auckland for cigarettes.
Police were called to the Wynyard Mart, on Halsey St, after reports of an incident shortly before 2.30am overnight.
CCTV security footage shown to the Herald shows a car pulling up to the store at 2.28am, before four people get out and attempt to kick their way through the front entrance doors.
After failing to get into the shop that way, they are seen getting back into the car and driving off.
The vehicle is then seen being reversed into the store - immediately breaking through the doors and causing severe damage.
The group then get out and tear through the shop; with two people immediately jumping over the store's counter and heading straight for the cigarettes cabinet.
Store owner Adel al Omoush told the Herald this was the second time the shop had been hit by thieves in recent months.
"They tried with their feet but couldn't, so they used their car and reversed back through my shop. They damaged my door completely."
He said the thieves did not manage to break through the cigarette cabinet due to the store's security system.
"So they just took the [vapes] and ran away. We're lucky we have a new system and alarm - it's very noisy and they ran away fast."
Al Omoush acknowledged that this was now an ongoing issue and that authorities needed to come up with a way to stop such incidents from happening.
"Sadly, most of the time now they are all young kids. They get used to it.
"[Authorities] need to find some way to stop them."
He said the last time the shop was targeted by thieves, there was not too much damage to the store.
However, incidents at his other mini marts had forced him to shut up shop.
"I am not sure what will happen in the future. I have already closed my two shops on Darby St and another on Victoria St as we had too many problems," al Omoush said.
Now police have now gained a High Court order to confiscate nearly $37,000.