Burglars make off with $3000 worth of cigarettes at Springs Junction GAS Station in central South Island

Four burglars have stolen $3000 of cigarettes after a smash and grab at a central South Island service station.

CCTV footage at the GAS Lewis Pass petrol station on State Highway 7 showed the burglars smashing through the automatic glass door at 4.24am.

The burglars then rampaged through the store, before ripping open the locked cigarette cabinet and making out with a stash of tailor-made cigarettes, chips and drinks in less than 90 seconds.

Natalie Brailey, who owns the store with her partner Peter Gibbs, said they got a call from a local who had gone to get petrol at about 6am saying they had been burgled.

"We were pissed off."

The stolen cigarettes were worth about $3000, she said.

"The money was in a safe so was too hard to break into. But they helped themselves to a feed of chips, lollies and energy drinks."

The broken cigarette cabinet in the GAS Lewis Pass petrol station on State Highway 7 after yesterday's burglary. Photo / Natalie Brailey

Her partner had owned the store for 14 years, and this was the third time they had been broken into.

"The first time they took nothing, and the second time just some soft drinks."

These burglars were targeting cigarettes, she said.

"We run a workshop too and they didn't touch any of the tools.

"I think there is definitely a link with the price of tobacco. A pack of tailor-mades is about $23, it is a lot of money."

The smashed front door of the GAS Lewis Pass petrol station on State Highway 7 after yesterday's burglary. Photo / Natalie Brailey

They had insurance, but were annoyed at the hassle of the incident.

"We are not scared, just pissed off. The cops said [the burglars] looked around for other people before breaking in. They were not aiming to hurt people, just smash and grab.

"We have no idea where they came from, but I very much doubt they are from the area. If they were from here we would find out pretty quick."

In the CCTV footage the offenders, covered in hoodies and jackets, could be seen walking past the front windows, with one member of the group in a green jacket appearing to film the incident on their phone.

One member threw an object through the window, and attempted to unlock the door.

Another started to kicked the area around the hole to make it big enough to get their arm through and unlock the door.

An alarm sounded as the group entered the store, and three of them headed straight for the locked tobacco cabinet behind the till.

The smashed front door of the GAS Lewis Pass petrol station on State Highway 7 after yesterday's burglary. Photo / Natalie Brailey

The group spent less than a minute in the store, ransacking the tobacco cabinet before making off with trays of cigarettes.

Brailey said previous intruders had come through back windows, which had since been covered in steel bars.

Following yesterday's break in they had added another lock on to the front door.

"We added the lock to try and delay them further. If they had been another four minutes the cops would have caught them."

Brailey said police told them they had some "strong leads", but had not arrested anybody.

A police spokesman told the Herald investigations were ongoing.