Thieves attempt to break through security door of liquor store. Video / Supplied
Two carloads of bungling burglars have failed to smash their way into a Napier bottle shop, but still caused thousands of dollars of damage in their botched raid.
A senior manager for the Big Barrel chain, who did not want to be identified, said shortly after the attempted burglary oftheir Carlyle St liquor shop in Napier in the early hours of Sunday, the liquor chain’s Mt Eden Rd Store was hit by burglars who were more successful.
The Mt Eden store has now had three burglaries in as many weeks.
The manager said he believes the same young people from the other raids of the Auckland store were responsible for the latest attack, and have not been caught. Police confirmed inquiries were ongoing into both incidents and no arrests have been made.
“From our side, we have ordered the replacement glass and also extra security grilles to install but before they arrive, we are getting targeted each week,” the manager said.
The cost of the incidents would be in the tens of thousands once the bills for extra security measures, insurance excesses and damage repairs were tallied up, the manager said, to say nothing of the impact on workers.
“It’s just terrifying,” he said.
A group of masked offenders try to break their way into the Big Barrel bottle shop in Napier's Carlyle St by kicking the door and hitting it with a hammer in this still from a video of the Sunday morning incident. Photo / Supplied
He said the burglars responsible for the Auckland and Napier incidents have not yet been caught by police.
Footage of the attempted raid in Napier shows two carloads pull up outside the store, unable to get their vehicles closer due to the square concrete bollards surrounding the premises.
Undeterred, the masked men begin furiously kicking at the glass sliding doors and trying to use hammers to smash their way in. After less than a minute of trying they flee in their vehicles.
The burglary of the Mt Eden store was successful, with the offenders making off with thousands of dollars of alcohol, the manager said.
The man tries in vain to kick his way into the store. Photo / Supplied
“We originally didn’t [want to] put roller doors or security grilles in Mt Eden, purely to maintain the upmarket and high standards of one of the best bottle stores in the country,” he said.
“But current frequency [of attacks] means we got no alternative but to spend another $15-20k on extra security for future protection which won’t be covered by insurance.”
He said Big Barrell workers and management alike were experiencing trauma and sleepless nights amid the ongoing raids.
The manager said he wanted police and the Government to do more to hold those responsible to account and protect retail stores from the spate of raids.
