A terrifying 60 seconds has been captured by security footage showing a west Auckland dairy being robbed by men wielding weapons, one disguised in a creepy Halloween mask.
The chilling images show a trio bursting into the Sunvue Dairy in Glen Eden last night, ransacking the tobacco cabinet and helping themselves to iced treats before making off with the till.
At least two men appear to be clutching weapons as they enter the family business.
Police are now investigating whether two robberies at dairies in neighbouring western suburbs and just 20 minutes apart are linked.
The early evening robbery takes just over a minute, the trio knocking over a display stand as they storm inside, busting the sliding front doors off their rails.
Just prior to the robbery a lone female shopkeeper is seen assessing the store's frozen treat cabinet. It appears no one else is in the store at the time.
She briefly inspects the disturbance as the youths repeatedly kick at the door to get inside before disappearing out of shot. She reappears unharmed once the robbers have fled, a minute later.
While a grilled metal door initially prevents the robbers from easily accessing the suburban dairy's most valuable items, two slimly-built raiders tackle a fence-like installation above the counter that acts as a barrier between customer and shopkeeper.
The first attempt to breach the security buffer fails, with the robber almost losing his balance on the steel rope and tumbling on to the ground behind the counter.
It's not until his mate wearing a sinister mustachioed-man mask tackles the obstacle using a different technique and squeezing between the ropes that they manage to get to breach the space where the cash and cigarettes are safely housed.
While two of the robbers make an effort to hide their faces, a third doesn't bother, relying on his hoodie to conceal his head. The hood momentarily slips off showing a shaven head with a distinct two-toned dyed mohawk strip.
With at least two raiders behind the counter, cigarettes are stuffed into a backpack.
The third accomplice dashes in and out of the shop, carrying plastic containers laden with chilled goods, stashing the stolen haul in the back seat of a waiting getaway car parked outside the front of the shop.
Spilled Trumpet-like wrapped ice cream cones can be seen rolling on the ground on the footpath.
A robber disguised in a creepy mask busts through the front door of Sunvue Dairy in Glen Eden. Photo / Supplied
The till box is wrenched from its perch on a shelf beneath the counter and handed over before the three make a break for it, heading for the partially open door.
Last night the shaken dairy owners did not want to speak but gave access to the shocking footage of the brazen heist.
Police said the first of two dairy robberies took place shortly before 6pm at a store on Parker Ave, New Lynn.
A spokesperson said multiple people entered the shop and left after stealing a number of items.
Then at 6.20pm, police received a report of a second robbery at a dairy on Sunvue Rd, Glen Eden, just 4km away.
In this raid, the robbers stole a till and tobacco products before fleeing in a vehicle.
"Police are investigating both incidents and our enquiries will work to establish whether there is any link between the two matters," said a spokesperson.
Anyone with information about either incident was asked to contact Waitemata Police on 09 869 0697 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
