Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Thousands in cash and cigs snatched

By Kristin Edge
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
18 Dec, 2012 11:02 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Thieves smashed their way into three Whangarei businesses over two hours and fled with thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes and tobacco and $3000 of herbal tobacco.

It comes only a few weeks after two other thefts targeting dairies stocking cigarettes and tobacco. Police were yesterday dusting for fingerprints at Pepes Dairy in Onerahi, Stellar Products in Kensington and Foster Food Market Four Square on Maunu Rd following the break-ins between midnight and 2am.

Whangarei police Sergeant Tai Patrick urged anyone who was selling cigarettes or tobacco to take extra steps to ensure their products were locked away.

In two of yesterday's burglaries the thieves had snapped off padlocks to the main tobacco displays and in one case emptied all the bottom drawers of products.

At Pepes Dairy in Onerahi police said two people went to the front door with one of them using a metal bar to force it open.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Once inside they got into a locked cabinet and grabbed about $5000 cash, cartons of cigarettes, and tobacco.

Both intruders were wearing hooded sweatshirts.

At Stellar Products in Kensington, which sells a selection of natural and organic products, $3000 of herbal tobacco was stolen. No one at the business would comment.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Patrick said Daffodil Dairy on Maunu Rd was targeted last Friday about 2.40am with $8000 worth of tobacco being stolen. On December 7 Onerahi was hit with a large quantity of tobacco being stolen.

A dairy owner, who did not want to be named, said the theft hit them hard financially even though they had insurance.

"We have to pay the excess and then our policy goes up so we lose out in the end."

The theft impacted on them emotionally as well.

"We were woken up early in the morning and had to get here and secure the shop. Luckily I had a friend who came and helped. Then we had to open up and work all day ... it's very stressful just before Christmas.

"We work hard and we just don't need this."

Police were warning anyone who was offered cheap cigarettes to contact them immediately.

"These could be sold anywhere and given the current price of tobacco these will seem like a real bargain," Mr Patrick said.

Anyone with information should contact Mr Patrick at Whangarei police station on 09 430 4500.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales
Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

More than 170 customers south of Cape Rēinga are still without power.

17 Jul 08:26 AM
'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi
Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

17 Jul 06:02 AM
Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime
Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

17 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP