Mayhem erupted at a busy Auckland mall on Saturday morning as brazen robbers ran through smashing cases and stealing jewellery.
At around 10am, several individuals wearing hoodies and masks began smashing cabinets at Michael Hill in Glenfield Mall.
Videos of the robbery posted on social media show the chaos unfolding as shoppers screamed at the offenders to stop.
The offenders then fled the scene, leaving behind a mess of broken glass, fog and stunned shoppers.
Over recent years, Michael Hill stores nationwide have been targets of ram-raids and smash-and-grab style burglaries.
The sheer extent of the burglaries and the safety risks they pose to staff and customers forced the franchise to install a range of security measures including fog canons and alarm screamers.
Footage from the robbery shows those measures in action. A loud bang can be heard before fog filled the store. A person fell to the floor as a result of the blast, however, it is unclear whether they were an offender or a member of the public.
A police spokesperson said officers responded to the aggravated robbery at Glenfield Mall and an investigation is underway to locate those responsible.
The spokesperson said the amount of items stolen from the store is unknown.
Anyone with information or imagery of the offenders is asked to call 105 and reference the event number P054706726.
