Harvey Norman boss Gerry Harvey has lashed out at Sydney teens who have targeted his stores and others in a horror spate of raids.

Ben Graham

JUNE 12, 2019
news.com.au

The boss of electronics giant Harvey Norman has lashed out at Sydney teens who have targeted his stores and others in a horror spate of robberies across the city.

In one of the latest cases of electronics stores being hit four teenagers were arrested for stealing $15,000 worth of electrical goods from JB Hi-Fi at Taren Point in Sydney’s south on Monday afternoon.

Police originally said the raid was a simple case of “shoplifting”, but CCTV footage shows how a gang of youths carried out the shocking “grab and run theft”.

It is alleged that seven males stole electronics, including laptops and TVs, from the store.

The teens enter the JB Hi-Fi at Taren Point calmly before ransacking the store. Picture: Channel 7Source:Supplied

Police are still on the hunt for some of those involved. Picture: Channel 7Source:Supplied

Witnesses say security guards managed to follow the thieves and take down their number plates before reporting them to police.

Four youths aged 18, 17, and 16 were taken into custody with one freed on bail.

Police say they are looking for the other men involved — describing them as “being of African appearance” in a media statement.

On the same day, Hornsby police in the city’s northwest were called to an electronics store after a report of males loitering. A 24-year-old man was arrested on an outstanding warrant and in possession of a suspected stolen speaker.

In setting up a taskforce to deal with the issue, NSW Police said that at least six electronics retailers across the city’s northwest have been targeted by teenage thieves of African appearance since March, with three robberies in quick succession on Saturday.

At least 20 stores across the city have been hit in similar robberies over the past month.

Other recent robberies took place in Rhodes, Strathfield, Rouse Hill, Campbelltown, Carlingford, Chatswood and Burwood.

Four teenagers were arrested for stealing $15,000 worth of electrical goods from the electronics store. Picture: Channel 7Source:Supplied

Chairman and co-founder of electronics giant Harvey Norman, Gerry Harvey, has hit out at the “little hoods” involved in the incidents after his stores were targeted.

“It’s really bad when in the middle of the day, six little hoods can come in and ransack and rob, and staff and everyone else just lets them go — which is fine, but they know they can get away with it,” Mr Harvey told 7 NEWS.

“So how do you stop these guys doing it … the police force has to do something.”

However, Sydney detectives are insisting Sydney is not facing the same African gang crisis as Melbourne.

Detective Chief Inspector Glyn Baker denied that there’s any gang links to the attacks. Picture: Chris PavlichSource:News Corp Australia

“I would not describe them as gangs,” Detective Chief Inspector Glyn Baker told

The Daily Telegraph.

“I think it’s very important that we don’t draw any parallels whatsoever with what’s happening in Melbourne. What we are dealing with here is a group of young African males who are committing criminal offences.”