Mobil Oratia owner Sam Somjee says he and his staff are afraid to come to work after the store was broken into for the third time in the last six months. Video / NZ Herald
A car rammed the concrete wall of a service station around 10-15 times before it gave way in a ram raid in West Auckland.
The Mobil service station on West Coast Rd in Oratia, near Glen Eden, was targeted by thieves overnight. Police were called to the business just after2.30am.
"Enough is enough, we've had enough already," said business owner Sam Somjee.
Two trays of cigarettes were taken, Somjee said. They had tried to take the whole cabinet but were unsuccessful.
Somjee said the value of the stock was minimal, but the damage left behind was massive.
"I don't know the dollar amount [of the items taken], but it's nothing compared to the damage that has happened here, to the building and counter and computer system. The big damage is that one, not the stock."
Bollards outside were no match for the thieves. The morning following the incident, vape boxes, chocolates and lollipops were strewn on the floor.
The concrete wall at the front had been smashed and the metal bars warped.
The West Auckland petrol station was targeted overnight on Wednesday. Photo / Jed Bradley
The West Auckland petrol station was the latest location to be targeted by ram-raid thieves - after a string of similar incidents at other outlets.
Detective inspector Karen Bright said late last month police were aware of the spike in ram raids and that they were not a new issue.
"Different crime types do spike over time but we are aware of this problem and we are addressing it."
An increasing number of ram raids have been reported recently. Police have previously said the incidents largely involved young people. Data showed 88 per cent of ram-raid offenders were under 20 and the majority were under 17.
However, the latest Youth Justice Indicators report showed youth offending has dropped substantially.
Offending rates among children aged 10 to 13 fell by 65 per cent between 2010/11 and 2020/21, while rates among young people dropped by 63 per cent.
