Tobacco and cigarettes worth $35,000 stolen from Hawke's Bay stores in 3 months

"I got a call from my security company - they said the alarm is on and looks like someone has smashed the door", Four Square Frimley shop assistant Sarbjit Singh recalls.

It was 2am on March 10 and the store was being ram-raided. Grainy CCTV shows a man smashing the door and heading straight for the cigarette stand behind the counter, taking $300 of lose tobacco.

It's an increasingly familiar story.

Since tobacco taxes increased as per usual on January 1, 15 stores in Hawke's Bay that sell tobacco have been targeted by thieves.

Four Square Frimley shop assistant Sarbjit Singh intends to increase security around the shop after theft of "rollies". Photo / Warren Buckland

Four Square Frimley is one of them - the others are located in Bay View, Napier, and parts of Hastings.

Detective Sergeant Glenn Restieaux said several of the 15 shops have been targeted twice.

About $35,000 worth of tobacco and cigarettes has been taken from the stores, he says.

"The offenders involved are causing a great deal of damage to local community stores in the process," a post on Eastern District Police's Facebook post said.

"Someone will know the people involved in these crimes and we urge them to come forward. If anyone is offered cut-price or unusual quantities of cigarettes or tobacco, please contact police immediately."

Restieaux says none of the offenders have been caught.

"We are working to establish any links between the incidents, and we would not speculate on possible motivation at this point."

Singh said the cost of the raid wasn't just the loss of tobacco revenue. They're also paying for the cost of a smashed door and increase in security measures.

"They (the offenders) had rolled their car and smashed the door.

"One guy entered the store, jumped from counter to the front cabinet. Then he tried to cut the smoke cabinet with a grinder, the grinder wasn't working."

The offender got his hand inside the cabinet, to get away with whatever he could get.

"There were two guys. One in the car, one in the shops.

The repairs are going to cost about $3800, he says.

"I will have to change all my front doors to put aluminum bars, safety bars in smoke cabinet.

"I am thinking of putting more cameras, especially outside."

Restieaux said store owners could, and should, take preventative measures.

"Shop owners can install high quality CCTV cameras linked to internal lighting, have audible and monitored alarms, increase security of premises including exterior lighting, and assess if they can store product off site."