CCTV shows cars speeding through Auckland shopping centre during ram-raid

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

CCTV from a store inside the mall captured three cars and around a dozen people during an overnight ram-raid.

Ram-raiders broke their way into an Auckland shopping centre, before driving through the mall and smashing into Postie and Noel Leeming stores.

CCTV footage from a store inside the centre shows about a dozen people running through the mall and three cars speeding past shops.

“The offenders' behaviour and manner of driving has endangered security and cleaning staff working in the retail complex at the time,” a police spokesperson said.

CCTV footage shows a vehicle driving through Ormiston shopping centre during the raid.

Three stolen vehicles were used in the raid at Ormiston shopping centre around 1.10am on Tuesday, a police spokesperson said.

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Noel Leeming appears to have sustained the most damage.

Ram-raiders have broken their way into an Auckland shopping centre, before driving through the mall and smashing into Postie and Noel Leeming.

Multiple offenders entered three stores and stole a number of electronic devices and clothes, they said.

At least five stores and two mall entrances were damaged. Wooden boards were erected at one of the entrances.

The ram-raiders’ driving endangered security and cleaning staff working at the mall, before they fled in two of the stolen cars, police said.

Contractors are currently working to repair the damage and cover the damaged mall entrances.

The Noel Leeming store appears to have significant damage. Inside, broken electronic devices can be seen strewn across the floor, including a smashed TV.

The neighbouring store, Postie, has got two large damaged shutters. There appears to be little damage inside the store.

A large table outside New World can be seen on its side with yellow caution tape around.

Police are making inquiries into the incident and reviewing CCTV footage.

This incident comes after a spike in ram-raids across Auckland city. Most ram-raid offenders are the under the age of 17.

Auckland’s Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores were ram-raided on April 11, and one dairy has been hit four times this year.

This is the fourth ram-raid at Ormiston shopping centre in just over a year. Three out of four ram-raids have targeted Noel Leeming.

The third ram-raid attack was three weeks ago.

Purvi Killa’s store, Christies Jewellers, had about $6000 worth of product was stolen

“They smashed the car through the back entrance and took out the black shutter doors. Everything was a mess… The mall contracted the police, and we just found out in the morning.

“We were shocked when we found out. We’ve heard about the ram-raid across Auckland. They’re so frequent here,” she said.

Killa said she was now scared to work in her store.

“They can come during the day also… They’re all schoolboys, young boys,” she said.

The Ormiston mall owners said they were concerned about the increase in ram-raids across Auckland, and they are working with police.

One business owner, who Stuff agreed not to name, complained that the mall had put concrete plant pots outside the mall entrance instead of concrete bollards.

'Somebody could just come and pick the potted plants up and move them. It’s ridiculous,” they said.