Huge mess after ram raids return
Up to $15,000 worth of tech stock stolen in one brazen heist
Avehicle smashes through the front of a Rotorua technology store and within seconds, eight masked and hooded thieves swarm inside and grab what they can.
Ninety seconds later, they are gone.
The ram raid happened about 1.25am on Tuesday at the PC Hutt on Tutānekai St and involved a gang of thieves travelling in three vehicles.
In CCTV footage supplied to the Rotorua Daily Post, the thieves can be seen working quickly to steal gaming equipment and computers.
They leave behind smashed glass, broken cabinets, ransacked cupboards and buckled aluminium door and window frames.
The thieves left the store and jumped into the three vehicles, including the hatchback used to reverse at speed through the store.
Store owner Pandeep Kumar said $10,000 to $15,000 worth of items were stolen.
He said he was at home asleep when he got a call from his security company.
When he arrived at the shop, police were already there.
“I thought ‘What? Is this happening in Rotorua again?’. For the last two years it has been good but before then, every single shop seemed to be having this.”
Kumar said he had had two previous ram raids but given there had not been anything for the past couple of years, he had hoped things in Rotorua were improving.
He said he had to stay at the shop all night to keep things secure and only went home just before midday to “freshen up and have something to eat”.
Despite the mess left in the shop, Kumar said his staff were still able to open for business that morning.
Kumar said he would now look more seriously at asking the building’s landlord to install bollards at the front of the store to prevent ram raids.
He said while they had insurance, it was a big investment of time and effort as well as the insurance excess to fix up the mess thieves left behind.
Police told the Rotorua Daily Post a scene examination was carried out on Tuesday morning to establish what had been taken. They said inquiries were ongoing to find the vehicles and offenders involved.
The PC Hutt was not the only place hit early on Tuesday. Thieves targeted Thirsty Liquor on Marguerita St for the second time since Sunday night.
A store manager, who spoke on the condition his name was not published, said someone broke a side window of the store about 4am, removed a shutter covering and stole about $1000 worth of alcohol.
He said thieves broke in through exactly the same place overnight on Sunday, on that occasion stealing about $2000 worth of alcohol.
Police said the break-ins had been reported and police were investigating.