Ram-raids continue across east Auckland
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Yet another east Auckland business is repairing the damage caused by offenders during an attempted ram-raid burglary.
The Noel Leeming store at Botany Town Centre was targeted by thieves on Tuesday night.
A police spokesperson says reports were received at about 10pm of a vehicle attempting to force entry to the store.
“The offenders’ vehicle damaged the front of the store.
“However, metal bars prevented the vehicle going further in, and nothing was stolen.
“Police attended, but the vehicle had left the scene. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Work was under way on Wednesday morning to repair damage the vehicle had caused to the store.
The incident drew a heated response on social media with numerous east Auckland residents expressing outrage.
The latest attempted ram-raid follows a long list of such incidents, as well as robberies, at local businesses in recent months.
The Michael Hill jewellery store at Botany Town Centre was targeted in an aggravated robbery by multiple people on July 18.
A police spokesperson said a group of offenders carrying tools entered the store and smashed several glass cabinets at about 5.40pm.
They stole a number of items and left in two vehicles, both of which were later found abandoned a short distance away.
Prior to that incident, two thieves ransacked the Tj Handcrafted store also at Botany Town Centre on July 11.
Security camera footage recorded inside the business shows one of the offenders use an instrument to smash a glass cabinet before stuffing items into a bag.
Both thieves then smash their way into a second large cabinet on the other side of the store and place more items into their bags, before breaking into a third cabinet and taking some of its contents.
Tj Handcrafted was also broken into at about 1.30am on April 20, and it was the site of an alleged aggravated robbery on January 10.
Ram-raid burglaries have also been carried out at stores in Howick in recent months.
David Fels Jeweller in Picton Street was damaged in a ram-raid just before midnight on April 4.
The offenders drove a stolen vehicle through the front of the business, then reversed out and manoeuvred the store’s grill to gain access.
They got inside, smashed several cabinets, and “helped themselves to the stock”, owner David Fels said at the time.
A group of people caused extensive damage during a ram-raid at LiquorLand Howick in Elliot Street at about 5am on April 3.
A vehicle was driven into the store before the thieves created a gap under a window frame and crawled inside.
They allegedly stole multiple bottles of alcohol and then fled.
Ormiston Town Centre in Flat Bush was targeted in two ram-raids in April while Centre Superette in Wharf Road, Bucklands Beach, was damaged and ransacked by thieves during a ram-raid just before 4am on January 19.
And three stores in Howick village were targeted by thieves in the early hours of March 8.
Paper Plus on Picton Street and Honeybun Jewellers and Vaporian Republic vape store in Moore Street were each broken into.
Valuable watches were among the items stolen from the jewellery store.