A group of hooded offenders used a power tool during a burglary of a North Waikato retailer, leaving the owner, who was watching the incident from home, shocked.
The burglary took place about 2.15am on Saturday morning when three hooded offenders broke into the store.
Using what's believed to be an angle grinder, the trio busted into the cigarette cabinet, loading the haul into a tub before driving away.
The store's owner Ash Parmar watched the burglary from home through a security camera.
He told 1News there was nothing he could do as the police weren't able to respond while the store was being cleared out.
"I don't blame police because they're under-resourced, but there was nothing we could do.
"We just had to sit and watch," he said.
He said the use of power tools is a sign that burglars are changing tactics, adapting to other measures business owners have put in place.
"It doesn't matter if we have bollards. This wasn't a ram-raid.
"They're adapting," he said.
Parmar said he's growing "concerned", saying similar break-ins are happening across the region.
In a statement to 1News, a police spokesperson said they had seen a "couple of instances" where power tools were used in burglaries recently.
"It is just one of a range of ways that have been observed being used to gain entry into a building," they said.
Police say that after the burglary was called in, it immediately dispatched two units — one going to the scene and the other looking for the offenders' vehicle.
"Unfortunately, they were not located at the time.
"A forensic examination took place later the same morning, and inquiries into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing."
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