Mornington Peninsula service stations hit in smash and grab attacks for smokes, vapes
Service station staff on the Mornington Peninsula are being told to “lock themselves in” as teens rampage stealing smokes and vapes.
South East
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Workers at Mornington Peninsula servos are being advised to “lock themselves in” after a string of smash and grab attacks by teens looking for smokes.
Staff at several United petrol stations say they have been told to be on “high alert” and “stay vigilant” by management in the wake of multiple robberies, some committed during the day while customers were present.
The latest spate of break ins saw a group of four male youths use a hammer to smash their way in to five services stations from Tyabb to Tootgarook overnight on Tuesday.
Surya Bobba, who works at United Petroleum, Red Hill, was called to the Arthurs Seat servo about 1.30am after a break on by the gang looking for cigarettes and vapes.
“There was glass everywhere,” he said.
“I think they got frustrated because we’ve hidden the smokes, so they smashed up the computers.”
The business was closed at the time of the robbery.
Mr Bobba said it was the fourth time the service station had been hit in the past few months.
“About five weeks ago a group of teens came in about 7.30am with big knives,” he said,
Mr Bobba was not working that shift, but said his colleague was told to “stand aside” while the group helped themselves to tobacco products.
Noone was injured but the staff member had to take “ a couple of days off” to recover, Mr Bobba said.
He said security shutters were being considered to protect the business from further attacks.
Another Mornington Peninsula United Petroleum worker said their service station had also been targeted in recent months, but not on Tuesday.
The man, who did not want to be named, said cigarettes were now “hidden” at the business and staff had been advised to “lock themselves in” after service stations across the region had been hit in “daylight robberies”
“Over the past couple of months Uniteds all over the peninsula have been hit,” he said.
“Groups of three or four people with balaclavas have been pulling up in a Merc and ransacking the joint while customers were there.
“We’ve been told to be on high alert; to remain vigilant and keep an eye out for unusual behaviour”.
Mornington Peninsula detectives are investigating break ins at five businesses overnight on Tuesday at Moorooduc, Red Hill, Tootgarook and Tyabb.
Police said a group of up to four males, who had been described as teenagers, used a hammer to smash the front windows of closed service stations between 12.10am and 1.05am on Tuesday.
A quantity of cigarettes and prepaid mobile phones were stolen.
The five break-ins were believed to be linked.
United Petroleum has been contacted.