Rotorua ram raid: Chocolates, gum and an empty till stolen from Ngongotaha Books, Lotto & Postshop

Ngongotaha Books, Lotto & Postshop was ram-raided overnight.

Chocolate, gum and an empty till were stolen in a Rotorua ram raid that left a “massive mess” after five thieves couldn’t get into the cigarette cabinet.

Police were called to a business in Ngongotahā Rd at 1.11am after a vehicle was used to enter the building, a spokesman said.

He said nothing was taken. Police had found both vehicles used in the attempted burglary, but were still searching for the offenders.

Reneel Singh, the son of the owner of Ngongotaha Books, Lotto & Postshop, said there was “a massive mess” when he arrived at the shop this morning, including “quite a lot of damage” to the entrance.

He said the offenders drove a car into the building and through the windows before what appeared to be five people jumped out, based on CCTV footage.

“They tried to get into the cigarettes, couldn’t do it, and then they started running around trying to find anything of value,” he said.

Singh said the offenders “just pushed around shelves and smashed things up” making a “massive mess” before taking off with an empty till, some chocolate bars and gum.

He said glass was everywhere, all the stock and stands had been thrown around, the cash registers had been pulled to the ground, and the Lotto cash draw was on the other side of the counter.

“Everything was in an absolute mess.”

It was too early to estimate the cost of the damage and it was “pretty disappointing” to see this happen, he said.

“On top of that, it’s just such a hassle for nothing.”

He said the police had been good and responded quickly.

The owners did not want the incident to shut the store, so they were cleaning up while police collected evidence and the door was being repaired, he said.

Singh said the silver lining had been the overwhelming support from the customers, who had been “devastated” on behalf of the owners.

Cira Olivier is a social issues and breaking news reporter for NZME Bay of Plenty. She has been a journalist since 2019.