Youths raid Officeworks in South Yarra, stealing headphones and speakers

A BRAZEN gang left an Officeworks store cheering after raiding shelves while terrified staff members watched on.

RETAILERS are being urged to install CCTV and be on high alert after a brazen gang raided four Officeworks buildings across Melbourne, while terrified staff and shoppers watched on.

Fifteen youths of African appearance marched into the South Yarra store on Saturday afternoon and stole products including headphones and speakers.

Beats by Dre headphones.

Police say the gang was targeting expensive Beats by Dre headphones worth almost $400 a pair.

Inspector David Griffin advised other electronic retailers, especially those that stock Beats headphones, to be aware and vigilant with monitoring shopfronts.

“Make sure your CCTV is up and working and it’s targeted where it needs to be and of good quality,” Insp Griffin said.

“It can be quite confronting for those people involved and for those people who have witnessed this behaviour.

“It’s certainly a message to Officeworks’ stores and other retail stores that stock this sort of equipment, especially Beats headphones, that they might like to tighten their security.”

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Insp Griffin urged members of the public not to approach a person or groups of people.

“Stay safe, look and try to record what they’ve done and be prepared to give that information to police.”

Police believe the groups of youths are in their teens and mostly male.

“We think they’ve used public transport to get around and there is no suggestion of any organised crime,” Insp Griffin said.

“At this stage we’re looking at it being youth crime related.”

He described the crime as “brazen”.

“It’s certainly appears that they’re not too bothered about getting caught and certainly proud about what they’ve been doing,” Insp Griffin said.

“Witnesses stated that they were waving around stolen property about their heads, clearly very happy with what they had stolen.”

Police are currently looking at CCTV to help with their investigation and warned copycats would feel the full extent of the law when caught.

The gang left the store cheering and holding their stolen goods above their heads, a witness said.

The incident wasn’t the first time the South Yarra store had been targeted, according to staff.

Victoria Police confirmed there are investigations into brazen robberies on four Officeworks stores this past Saturday.

Police say the first theft happened at the Chadstone store on Warrigal Rd around 3.20pm, where a group of five teens allegedly stole some headphones.

The second was at Commercial Road, South Yarra at 4.40pm, where a group of up to 15 males stole headphones and computer equipment.

The same equipment was stolen at the third robbery, around an hour later at 5.30pm at the store on the Princess Hwy in Carnegie.

A fourth incident happened at the store on the Nepean Highway, Highett around 6.20pm.

This time the group left empty-handed, after they unsuccessfully attempted to get into the store.

No one was injured at any of the incidents.

South Metropolitan Inspector Dave Griffin said the teens involved in the South Yarra raid “must have forced some cabinets”.

“This sort of equipment is usually locked away,” Insp Griffin said.

The “Beats” Studio wireless headphones retail at Officeworks for $386.

He said police were unsure if the teens intended to sell the headphones or keep them for themselves.

Inspector Griffin said there was no sign of weapons, but that the robberies were “pretty brazen”.

Police are checking Metro’s CCTV, as they believe the teens were catching trains between the robberies.

They targeted stores along the Frankston and Cranbourne lines.

Insp Griffin said with the footage, police were confident of meeting up with the gang.

Chris, who witnessed the South Yarra raid, told 3AW the group was very confident committing the brazen robbery.

“One did a little jig a dance in front of me,” he said.

“They were happily ransacking the shelves.”

Chris said it was around 4.30pm on Saturday when a group of around 15 African youths waltzed through the doors of the Officeworks on Commercial Road, South Yarra.

He said they wore hoodies but did not keep their heads down.

“They walked straight in the store and walked through aisles, they grabbed headphones and speakers.”

The store’s security alarm sounded as the group left with their loot.

Once outside, Chris said the group was cheering and hollering in the carpark, raising the items they’d taken above their heads.

A staff member told Chris the same thing had happened at the Chadstone Officeworks earlier in the afternoon.

A spokesperson for Officeworks confirmed four brazen burglaries at stores across Melbourne on Saturday.

“Officeworks can confirm that there were incidents involving theft at four of its stories in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne on Saturday,” the spokesperson said.

“No Officeworks team members or customers were harmed and all affected stores remain open today with a heightened level of security,

“As the incidents are currently under police investigation, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.”

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Originally published as Youths raid Officeworks in South Yarra, stealing headphones and speakers