THIEVES raided two Mornington Peninsula tobacconists last week, stealing about $40,000 in cigarettes and tobacco products.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Nick Sweetman, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said about $20,000 in cigarettes, tobacco and cash were stolen from the Bentons Square, Mt Martha, tobacco outlet early Sunday morning 3 July.
Two men are seen on CCTV wearing gloves, caps and hoodies and driving a red Commodore around 3am.
A newsagent, cafe and fashion store were also targeted in the late-night-early-morning raid in which the thieves spent more than six hours inside the centre.
In a separate raid, thieves stole $20,000 in cigarettes from a Rosebud Plaza tobacconist in the early hours of Wednesday 6 July.
Five men in a stolen BMW X5 station wagon used a grinder to cut their way through a locked door, smashing glass panels and lifting up the roller door to gain entry to the plaza at 3.26am. They then filled three large bags with cigarettes.
The men also attempted to raid the Telstra and Optus stores but managed to steal only imitation phones.
Detective Sergeant John Coburn, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the getaway car was later seen driving at 200kph north along Peninsula Link but, because of the speeds involved, police did not engage in a pursuit.
Anyone with information about the raids should call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12 July 2016
