30 May 2017

Dairy owner wants police to name peddlers of stolen goods

From Morning Report, 7:19 am on 30 May 2017

Police in Auckland are trying to convince dairy owners to dob in people trying to sell them stolen goods, particularly cigarettes.

CCTV footage released by police of the robbery at the Kingsford Supermarket in Mangere.

CCTV footage released by police of the robbery at the Kingsford Supermarket in Mangere. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police

The month-long campaign offers a reward to people who provide information that leads to a successful prosecution.

Kamaljit Singh owns the Kingsford Superette in Mangere - it was not only robbed of cash and cigarettes recently, but a worker was also hospitalised with facial and head injuries.

He said he has been approached by people peddling stolen goods and believed the dairy owners who were being robbed were the same ones buying the stolen goods.

The police in Auckland said they were "throwing the kitchen sink" at the problem.

They are offering rewards for dairy owners to dob in people they believe are trying to sell goods, particularly cigarettes, stolen from other dairies.

The Counties Manukau area commander Inspector Dave Glossop said the campaign targets the robbers and also the retailers turning a blind eye to where the goods come from.

There were more burglaries and thefts of cigarettes because the price of tobacco had risen, he said.