Police hunt group accused of ripping cash, ciggies from five southeast servos on Christmas Eve
Police are on the hunt for a group of five offenders accused of ripping smokes and cash from five separate service stations in Melbourne’s southeast and taking off in a Volkswagen Jetta.
Victoria
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Five offenders accused of stealing smokes and cash from five separate service stations in Melbourne’s southeast on Christmas Eve are being hunted by police.
The five offenders first targeted a petrol station on Cranbourne-Frankston Rd in Cranbourne where they allegedly jumped the counter about 9.30pm on Tuesday night.
The group are accused of stealing cigarettes and cash before fleeing in a grey Volkswagen Jetta.
Police say four additional service stations at Seaford, Carrum Downs, Dandenong South and Keysborough were targeted over the next two hours.
The Volkswagen was spotted by patrolling police near South and Chesterville roads in Moorabbin about 12.40am on Wednesday morning.
That car took off at speed and was last seen near the Monash Freeway intersection.
Inquiries are ongoing to determine whether it was previously stolen.
No one was physically injured during the alleged crime spree.
A gang of masked youths were this month filmed committing a similar alleged crime at a BP in Hughesdale, dumping trays of smokes into the boot of their car.
Teenagers are increasingly causing havoc at petrol stations across the city in a bid to steal smokes and cash for those higher up the chain.
Lethal weapons, including machetes, are often used to terrorise shop staff while an accomplice dashes out with drawers full of taxed cigarettes.
The Herald Sun has been told the teenagers will then dump the hundreds of packs of smokes at a warehouse or car park which are then distributed to dodgy retailers in the suburbs.
Stolen cars are almost always used in this type of offending.
Originally published as Police hunt group accused of ripping cash, ciggies from five southeast servos on Christmas Eve
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