Rotorua police are warning people to be suspicious if they are offered a cheap smartphone after a large phone heist in the city.
Thieves stole smartphones from Smiths City in the Te Ngae Shopping Centre on Tuesday night. It was broken into about 8.30pm and $20,000 of phones were taken, said Rotorua police Sergeant Colin Peers. The thieves broke in through the back door.
The tactical crime unit manager said phone models stolen included Samsung S3, Samsung S4, Samsung S3 mini, Huawei, Samsung Y and iPhone 5S. Nothing else was taken, he said.
He asked the public to be on the alert.
"Please contact your local police station should you be offered a cheap iPhone, or see iPhones for sale on the usual buy/sell/swap pages," he said.