Vape shop chain robbed for 15th time in two years, knife held to worker’s throat

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Vapeys on Stoddard Rd in Mt Roskill was robbed just before 10pm on Thursday night.

Chris McKeen/Stuff

Vapeys on Stoddard Rd in Mt Roskill was robbed just before 10pm on Thursday night.

A worker has had a knife held to their throat and had their car stolen during a robbery of an Auckland vape store overnight.

Vapeys on Stoddard Rd in Mt Roskill was robbed just before 10pm on Thursday night, just as two staff were closing up.

It’s the 15th time a Vapeys store has been robbed or ramraided in the last two years, its owner said, including a store in Henderson which was robbed earlier this month in a similar hostage situation.

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“We’re still just trying to recover from that and this happens,” Vapeys owner Naresh Kumar said.

Kumar said four men entered the store and stole cash and vapes just as the workers were serving the last customer and closing the store.

He said they wielded knives and spanners and used them to intimidate staff.

Supplied

A vape shop in Henderson was robbed by a group of masked men on Friday night.

One of the staff, wearing a gold chain, was then taken into a store room.

“[A robber] smashed him to the floor and tried to get his chain off… he held a sharp knife to his neck, he didn’t hurt him, but he held him to the ground and asked him for the chain,” Kumar said.

Kumar said the robbers took the chain, car keys and fled in a Honda Odyssey.

The worker had been moving house and had all his belongings in the car, including his wallet.

“We’re just trying to recover,” Kumar said of the robbery.

Naresh Kumar Murugarajan, co owner of the Vapeys chain of vape stores.

Torika Tokalau/Stuff

Naresh Kumar Murugarajan, co owner of the Vapeys chain of vape stores.

Kumar said he was frustrated police hadn’t yet been.

“I feel shit. Helpless. This keeps happening I don’t know how I can keep going,” he said.

Police told Stuff an investigation is under way and they responded at 9.50pm to reports of a group of people entering the store.

“They have taken a number of items before leaving in a vehicle,” a police spokesperson said.

The police spokesperson said they are providing support and investigating the robbery.

Anyone with information can contact Police on 105 or online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using Update My Report, referencing file number 230525/3613.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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