Shops in Ormeau, Mount Cotton and Holmview targeted in audacious early-morning raids

Police are seeking a group of men who used a stolen Mitsubishi Pajero to smash their way into a Gold Coast supermarket in dramatic fashion during an early morning crime spree that has rocked local businesses. WATCH VIDEO OF THE ROBBERIES

Police are hunting for a gang of raiders who used a stolen vehicle to smash through the glass doors of a Gold Coast supermarket in the early hours of this morning.

Around 1.30am the gang broke into the Drake supermarket on Peachey Road in Ormeau supermarket by reversing a Mitsubishi Pajero through the doors, while a second car, a stolen Hyundai i30, acted as a look-out vehicle.

A CCTV image shows the Pajero being used to reverse through the doors of one of the stores targeted.

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Four men ran into the store and stole cash and cigarettes before fleeing towards the M1 in the two stolen vehicles.

Police say the two vehicles were stolen from Carina in south Brisbane and were also used last night during break-ins at Mount Cotton and Holmview.

Damage from the overnight raid was clearly visible at the Drakes supermarket in Ormeau this morning.

Before heading to Ormeau, the raiders had attempted to smash their way into a supermarket on Valley Way at Mount Cotton, but fled when they realised there was an employee inside.

They were seen again around 2am at a newsagency on Logan River Road at Holmview, where the Pajero was again used to reverse through doors and cigarettes were stolen.

The raiders make their way into the Mount Cotton supermarket after the doors had been smashed in.

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Police could not say whether the ram raids were random or planned attacks, they would also not speculate on what the offenders were doing with the stolen cigarettes.

Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Corby said they have yet to find the stolen cars and the thieves only got away with a packets of cigarettes, investigations are ongoing to find them.

“The offences are linked by proximity and the vehicles are being investigated as a crime series,” Sen-Sgt Corby said.

“Our investigations indicate there were four people involved in each of the incidents.

“At this stage we are investigating these matters as a crime series, no further links have been identified at this stage with respect to any other offences.”

He said police were keen to track down the offenders and arrest them.

“It’s disappointing that such significant damage has been caused to those businesses, certainly the operators of that business are at significant loss in terms of their ability to operate their businesses and the cost of repairing the damage.

“We are very interested to speak with them and deal with these matters as quickly as we can.”

The two stolen vehicles being sought by police in connection with the robberies are a grey 2014 Mitsubishi Pajero bearing Queensland registration “043 VHN” and a white 2016 Hyundai i30 hatchback bearing Queensland registration “653 XIR”, with a logo on the driver’s side door that reads “Story House Early Learning”.

If you have any information about this crime contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.