Police are investigating at least two burglaries in Auckland overnight - including at a large supermarket in the suburb of Lynfield.
Officers were called to Countdown Lynfield, on Hillsborough Rd, shortly before 1am after reports of a break-in.
“A group of offenders have taken multiple items before fleeing from the scene in a vehicle,” a police spokeswoman said.
“Police are following positive lines of inquiry to locate those responsible.”
A staff member told the Herald they had looked at the security footage and said those involved were youth. There were up to nine people spotted on camera, the worker said.
Thieves smashed their way into the Countdown Lynfield supermarket, in Auckland, in the early hours of this morning. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Early this morning, police officers could be seen assessing the damage inside the supermarket.
Several windows - including at the entrance doors - had been smashed and glass littered the ground inside and outside.
It is not yet known exactly what was taken. But cigarette roller packets were spotted on the ground at one of the counters.
‘I don’t want to do this job anymore’
Police are also looking into a ram raid incident at a liquor store in Wairau Valley.
Authorities were called to the Harbour City Liquor Centre, on View Rd, about 2.30am after reports that a vehicle had been used to smash into the store.
Police were called to a reported ram-raid incident in Wairau Valley overnight. Photo Hayden Woodward
The shocked owner said at the scene: “I honestly don’t want to do this job anymore. This is my second ram raid.
“Auckland has gone very, very bad.”
Police said at this stage, their inquiries are ongoing and are working to determine who is responsible.
‘It starts with shoplifting...and before you know it, you’re shipping meth’ - Police Minister
Police Minister Stuart Nash spoke to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning about crime in New Zealand - and specifically about gang activity.
He talked about retail crime as well, acknowledging that it was a big problem.
Police Minister Stuart Nash. Photo / NZME
“It all starts somewhere - it starts with shoplifting, starts with theft and then you end up in a gang and before you know it, you’re shipping meth.
“That’s not always the track...but it can be and so it’s the reason why we’re putting a whole lot of effort and resource into going after the gangs.”
On gangs, Nash said: “We are going really, really hard against the gangs.
“Every single tool we can use, every man and every woman is going hard against the gangs because we do not want these people doing their dastardly crimes in our community.”
He said the gangs were, by and large, responsible for the meth distribution in New Zealand - the reason they were going so hard against them, he reiterated.
Can you help? Anyone with information that can help Police with their investigations is urged to contact authorities immediately via 105 or CrimeStoppers Anonymous on 0800 555 111
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com