Ram raiders smash through security grille at Gisborne vege store

Thieves used a car to smash through the door and security grill at Makaraka Veges just out of Gisborne city and steal cigarettes, vapes, chocolate and drinks early on Tuesday.

Store owner Krunal Shah said the footage showed what appeared to be six people with face coverings arriving outside the store on Main Rd about 4am and attempting to break in with one of the cars.

“From one side they tried to bang it and enter into the shop, but they couldn’t,” Shah said.

After one failed attempt they broke through the metal security grill at the front.

“They opened the cigarette cabinet from the back and the side because it had detached from the wall, so they didn’t need to break the lock or anything,” he said.

“They took everything... the chocolate and some drinks as well.”

“I think one person was a little bit hurt... there is a bit of blood on the floor and the cabinet.”

People nearby called the police.

Forensics staff were still working in the store at 9am and the owner was not certain of the full extent of what was taken by the offenders. Photo / Jeremy Muir

Shah, who has run the store for five years - the first three as manager and the last two as the owner - said this was the first time anything like this had happened.

“This has never ever happened before in the Makaraka area.”

Shah said it felt terrible for something like this to happen after everything they tried to do as a store to support the community.

However, it didn’t take long for his community to offer support back to the store and he was able to reopen in the afternoon with some clean-up assistance.

“We put up some plyboard on the front and some locals, regulars and old staff showed up and came to help,” he said.

“[Reopening] never would have happened without people’s support.”

A police spokeswoman said inquiries were ongoing.

One of the vehicles used by the offenders had been found abandoned.