Pharmaceuticals and booze stolen in organised spate of ram raids
Cairns glaziers have been struggling to keep on top of an increasing new year workload as young criminals in stolen cars take to ram raiding and forcing entry to shopfronts throughout the city.
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Cairns glaziers have been struggling to keep on top of an increasing new year workload as young criminals in stolen cars take to ram raiding and forcing entry to shopfronts throughout the city.
The Stratford Service Station was among the first to be hit by the latest spate of property crime.
The Rinks Close business was broken into on Friday night by five offenders who forced entry by smashing in a glass panelled front door before getting away in an orange-coloured Ford Ranger.
Late on Saturday between 11.20pm and 11.30pm, a young boy allegedly smashed the window of the Edmonton BP servo.
The offender can be seen on CCTV casually strolling through the shop, helping himself to soft drink and chocolate.
The Mount Sheridan Red Rooster was next in the early hours of Saturday morning, again with thieves breaking glass of the fast food restaurant to gain access.
On Sunday night, regular target, the Edge Hill Liquorland shop was robbed yet again.
According to police at 4.30am unknown offenders used a stolen Mitsubishi Triton to ram the front doors of the shop before loading booze into a second vehicle and fleeing the scene.
A crime scene was declared and investigations are continuing.
It’s understood the same group used a small hatchback to ram raid the Chemist Warehouse business in Bentley Park before stealing items and escaping in a second vehicle.
Cairns Glass and Glazing workers Cjaay Ahwang and Renzi Cater arrived at the shop after police forensic teams on Monday morning.
They were installing temporary plywood boards to cover a hole in the building made by the vehicle being driven into the shop on Sunday night.
“We’re non-stop,” Mr Cater said.
“It seems to be shops lately, at the Edmonton servo they got a chocolate bar and soft drinks and there was $1500 in damage.
“I don’t want to even attempt to (quote) this one (Chemist Warehouse) but it will probably be tens of thousands of dollars.”
Mr Cater, a young Indigenous man from Mareeba, believed at the root of the Cairns crime epidemic was young people being addicted to methamphetamine.
“I’m not going to stand here and say it’s just Indigenous people because I have seen quite a bit from both,” he said.
He said drugs didn’t discriminate and an ice habit can force kids of all racial backgrounds to commit crime.
Mr Ahwang said his wife Courtney owned the Chemist Warehouse business and had been flat out in the early hours of Sunday answering calls and making arrangements to make sure the store was up and trading on Monday morning.
The Queensland Police Service stated investigations were continuing into the recent spate of break-ins and anyone with information or relevant vision is urged to contact police.
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