At least two Auckland dairies have been smashed up in ram raids early on Good Friday morning.
Newshub images from the scene of one of the burglaries show extensive damage to the front of the Botany Rd Superette.
The ram raid happened just before 5am. CCTV footage shows the burglars using a car to ram through the shop's front before raiding a vape cabinet.
Newshub understands about $100 worth of product was stolen.
"A car was found abandoned at the scene," a police spokesperson said. "A second car, believed to have also been used by the offender/s, was located on fire in Ōtara."
Earlier in the morning, six youths were arrested after a ram raid at another dairy in Auckland's Rothesay Bay.
Officers in the police eagle helicopter, who were searching for an unrelated vehicle, saw a car speeding away from the ram raid on Beach Rd just before 4am.
"Eagle followed the car and provided location details to responding police units on the ground, who stopped the car on Mayoral Dr," the spokesperson said.
"Six youths, aged 13 to 16, were taken into custody."
Last week, police unveiled new data showing there were 519 ram raids in New Zealand last year - up from 295 in 2021.
As of March 15, there had already been 58 ram raids so far this year.
Over the previous three-year period, 602 youths were connected to the ram raids being committed - more than three times as many as adults.
Newshub.
