Auckland crime spree: Shocking footage shows vape store ransacked in 60 seconds, owner expected to be hit by robbery

A shopkeeper whose Auckland store was targeted overnight in the latest spate of ram raids says it was something he had been expecting - but it was still horrible to go through.

Vape2Go Birkenhead is one of a six businesses that had shopfronts wrecked and goods stolen in a series of smash-and-grab robberies. He is calling on the Government for immediate action to put an end to the ongoing strain on their trade.

Security footage shows two people in dark clothing and hoodies breaking into the store using hammers to smash through the front door before ransacking cabinets containing thousands of dollars worth of goods in a 60-second raid.

Vape2Go Birkenhead is one of six businesses that had shopfronts wrecked and goods stolen in a series of smash-and-grab robberies. Photo / CCTV

With little left of the glass double front door other than the heavy metal handles lying on the footpath, Vape 2Go Birkenhead's Ying Wang said it was not a good situation to be in.

"We are a franchise and many other stores had been affected, so we knew one day it would hit us, but did not expect it to be this extensive.

"Every shop seems to be burgled. The Government needs to help us and protect us from this horrible situation."

This was the second Vape2Go store to be vandalised in a week.

"We can't rule out that our refusal to sell e-cigarettes to minors under the new policy has led to retaliation," said the store manager.

Ōrākei's Kepa Road Superette's shopkeeper Ritesh Patel said he had bollards and an iron grille installed to protect his shop, however the offenders were not deterred by them.

"It seems like they have used a belt to pull the grille out, by tying one end to it and the other to their car, but they were unsuccessful.

"They managed to get in between the grilles and into the store. They must have been very young."

Kepa Road Superette's neighbouring business, Olivers Bakehouse, was broken into shortly after, offenders broke windows and stole the till. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Patel said it was a frustrating situation to come to and he had just gotten used to it.

"The law is ineffective. We can't do anything else," the exasperated shopkeeper said.

Neighbouring Oliver Bakehouse was also broken into following the raid on the superette, with the offenders smashing the windows to gain entry.

Patel said the till was stolen from the bakery.

Just after midnight, Liquorland Takanini was burgled, with empty cigarette drawers left discarded outside the store.

Eyewitness Gurwinder Bajwa said he was driving home on Great South Rd from his gym when he saw four teenagers breaking into the liquor store.

"I immediately parked my car to the nearby street and rang 111. I saw four of the boys trying to get in the store, the alarm was very loud. I could not see the number plate of their car, as it was raining quite heavily, but it was a silver-grey car.

Empty cigarette drawers were left outside the Liquorland store in Takanini just after midnight by the burglars. Photo / Hayden Woodward

"The whole incident lasted for three minutes," Bajwa said.

The car then drove off in the opposite direction, and police came to the scene shortly after, he said.

The store was taped off as officers worked inside, with a hammer left inside the store.

A police spokesperson said just after midnight they received a report of a burglary at the store on Great South Road.

"The store's glass front was broken and a stolen Mazda Demio was located nearby."

Two teenage boys aged 15 and 18 are said to appear in Manukau Youth Court today charged with Unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said over 30 people had been caught and 200 charges laid after the establishment of the police retail unit targeting ram raids and smash and grabs.

She couldn't comment on what the nature of the charges and consequences were and said it all depended on the individual offender.

Vape 2 Go Birkenhead was a target of the series of smash-and-grab-style burglaries that occurred this morning, The store owner has called on Government to step up. Photo / Hayden Woodward

"If someone is particularly young, particularly young, efforts are often made to use consequences and punishment that doesn't necessarily lead to that individual being in facilities that for instance result in their continuing and often in cases, we do know that this is the case, if a young person enters into our formalised criminal justice system that essentially means that's the trajectory that they are on," Ardern told TVNZ.

"The prevention also needs to be around what do we need to do to stop young people, for whatever reason, from entering into this activity."