Ram-raiders strike again
At least five stores damaged as thieves target shopping centre
Ram-raiders have broken their way into an Auckland shopping centre, before driving through the mall and smashing into Postie and Noel Leeming.
Three stolen vehicles were used in the raid at Ormiston shopping centre about 1.10am yesterday, police said.
Multiple offenders entered three stores and stole several electronic devices and clothes, a spokesperson said.
At least five stores and two mall entrances were damaged. The ram-raiders’ driving endangered security and cleaning staff working at the mall, before they fled in two of the stolen cars, police said.
Contractors were repairing the damage yesterday and had covered the mall entrances.
The Noel Leeming store appears to have significant damage. Inside, broken electronic devices could be seen strewn across the floor, including a smashed TV.
The black shutter doors outside Noel Leeming appeared to be smashed in.
The neighbouring store, Postie, had damage to two large shutters. However, there appeared to be little damage inside the store.
A large table outside New World supermarket was on its side with yellow caution tape around it.
Police were investigating the ram-raid and reviewing CCTV footage.
This incident comes after a spike in ram-raids across Auckland city. Most ram-raid offenders are under the age of 17.
Auckland’s Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores were ram-raided on April 11, and one dairy has been hit four times this year.
This is the fourth ram-raid at Ormiston shopping centre in just over a year. Three out of four ram-raids have targeted the Noel Leeming store.
The third ram-raid attack was three weeks ago.
Purvi Killa’s store, Christies Jewellers, had about $6000 of product stolen
‘‘They smashed the car through the back entrance and took out the black shutter doors. Everything was a mess ... The mall contacted the police and we just found out in the morning,’’ Killa said. ‘‘We were shocked when we found out. We’ve heard about the ram-raid across Auckland. They’re so frequent here.
‘‘They’re all schoolboys, young boys,’’ she said. ‘‘It is scary here. They can come during the day also.’’
The Ormiston mall owners said they were concerned about the increase in ram-raids across Auckland.
One business owner, who
Stuff agreed not to name, complained that the mall had put concrete plant pots outside the mall entrance instead of concrete bollards: ‘‘Somebody could just come and pick the potted plants up and move them. It’s ridiculous.’’