Armed robbers take cash and cigarettes

A shopkeeper had a gun pointed to his head as armed robbers forced him to the ground to steal cash and cigarettes.

Two young men entered the Avalon Mini Mart on High St, Lower Hutt, shortly before 7am yesterday, brandished a small black firearm and yelled at the shopkeeper to get on the ground.

Mini Mart owner Pranav Bodalia said it was ‘‘very scary’’ for the staff member who had opened up.

‘‘I have seen the footage and it is horrible,’’ he said.

‘‘My staff member was between two guys with a pistol pointed at his head the whole time.’’

Bodalia said the pair stole about $300 in cash, and an unknown quantity of cigarettes.

‘‘They are targeting cigarettes. These criminals should be scared of the law – there should be tougher penalties for them I think.

‘‘We can’t do anything, and your life is more important than a couple of packets of smokes.’’

A police spokeswoman said officers arrived soon after the incident, but the pair escaped on foot.

One of the men is described as of solid build and medium height, wearing a brown t-shirt over a black hoodie which had yellow writing on the right sleeve.

The other was wearing a black hoodie under a glow vest.

Pranav Bodalia said the gunpoint robbery was the first in the eight years he has owned the store.