The new Auckland crime wave is continuing as thieves smashed into a south Auckland petrol station in the early hours of Wednesday.
Petrol stations around the city have been hot targets for thieves over the past two weeks, with one of the owners fearing it's only a matter of time until someone is killed. The auto industry is also warning that fuel stations are heading for a "USA-style crime hell".
On Wednesday morning, the Mobil gas station on Grove Rd in Papakura was the target of four male thieves at 1:10am.
After arriving in a stolen vehicle, the group smashed a window using an instrument to enter the store, police said.
A fog cannon was automatically activated and the thieves fled the store a short time later, with police unable to confirm if anything was stolen.
The store was closed at that time with the station normally open from 5am to 9pm.
A police spokesperson confirmed the stolen vehicle was later found abandoned in the area but no arrests have been made.
"A police dog was deployed and enquiries were conducted at a nearby address," the spokesperson said.
"Anyone with information can contact police on 105 quoting the file number 240313/0682.
It's at least the eighth Auckland petrol station targeted in the past 10 days. The previous six break-ins targeting petrol stations have happened across the city since March 3 - aggravated robberies in Western Springs, Manurewa, Green Bay and Māngere Bridge, and burglaries in Papatoetoe, Glen Eden and Remuera.
The latest string of burglaries and robberies has sparked fears of a new crime wave after smash-and-grabs and ram raids were a common occurrence last year.
"At this rate, we're headed for the kind of hell you see in Florida where gas station operators need to hide behind inch-thick steel bars for protection. We seriously need to ask ourselves if that's a future we want," Motor Trade Association chief executive Lee Marshall said last week.
