Police have arrested four people and are hunting a fifth after an Auckland supermarket was targeted in a smash-and-grab overnight.
Police said officers were called to a burglary at Countdown Mt Roskill on Stoddard Rd just before midnight on Monday evening.
"It appears five offenders have exited a vehicle and smashed the front doors of the building to gain access," a police spokesperson said.
It's believed some staff members were inside the store at the time of the burglary.
Footage from the scene shows shattered glass scattered over the entrance of the supermarket but it's unclear if anything was stolen.
Police said the offenders then got back into a stolen vehicle and fled from officers.
The police Eagle helicopter tracked the vehicle through to Farrelly Ave where it was found abandoned.
"Three offenders ran through properties and into an address on Christini St, where they were taken into custody without incident," the spokesperson said.
"Police Dog Unit Delta tracked a fourth offender to a property in Potter Ave, where a youth was located hiding under the house."
Police said they are currently working to find the fifth offender.
The break-in comes just two weeks after Countdown announced they'd be removing cigarettes from their stores outside of normal trading hours, due to concerns for staff safety.
"We are continuing to see increasing levels of retail crime across New Zealand, and our stores are no exception. We hope this move will go some way towards deterring theft and helping keep our team and customers safe in our stores," director of stores Jason Stockill said.
"We are always reviewing our health and safety controls to ensure we're doing everything we can to keep everyone safe, and we also continue to work with police and other retailers to develop shared solutions to the challenges we're all facing."
Smash-and-grab at Pak'nSave Royal Oak
A second Auckland supermarket was also targeted on Monday morning.
Police said investigations are continuing following a burglary at Pak'nSave on Manukau Rd in the suburb of Royal Oak at just after 2:30am.
Police said three offenders smashed the front doors to gain access to the supermarket.
The thieves tried to steal cigarettes but left "empty-handed" after failing to break the locks, police said.
The offenders fled in a stolen vehicle, which was located a short time later abandoned on Haydn Ave.
