Thief pretended to be guard

By SCOTT INGLIS

A thief with a designer beard like British pop star Craig David walked into an Auckland store wearing a blue uniform and was given close to $17,000 by staff.

The man then walked out of Briscoes at Albany's Mega Centa and vanished. Security cameras were not working at the time.

The North Shore CIB is appealing for witnesses to the crime, which happened on Monday about 12.30 pm - two hours before Armourguard security guards were due to pick up the cash at the Don McKinnon Drive store. Detective James Watson told the Herald the thief, described as a light-skinned Maori or Pacific Islander, went straight to the office where a woman staff member handed over four cash bags.

The imposter signed tags on each bag and walked out.

The bags contained takings from Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It is not clear whether the thief was actually wearing an Armourguard uniform.

About two hours later, the real security guards arrived and the alarm was raised. Normally three guards service that particular Briscoes store. Detective Watson appealed for anyone who saw the man leave the shopping centre to call the police. It is not known what type of vehicle he might have used.

"He's done a little bit of homework - he's worked out what time they go there normally ... There was no violence. It was just a calm, collected theft."

The thief is described as 168cm to 173cm tall, of medium build and in good physical shape. He had short black hair and a distinctive thin beard.

Detective Watson said guards' identities should always be checked.