Tobacconist sees $50,000 go up in smoke as ram-raiders make off with huge cigarette haul

Marissa Calligeros
November 30, 2015
The Age
A dismayed tobacconist watched via a live CCTV feed as thieves destroyed his Melbourne store while stealing $50,000-worth of cigarettes.
Thieves reversed a Nissan Navara into Tom Elyas’ Cignall store at Greenvale shopping centre about 5.15am on Monday.
An alarm alerted Mr Elyas and his wife who were able to watch live CCTV footage from their mobile phone as three masked thieves busted their way inside the Mickleham Road store.
Mr Elyas said his wife watched the footage as the thieves made their way to the shop’s storage room.
There the thieves used an angle grinder to break into the storage room, where they stole about 400 cartons of cigarettes.
The sparks from the angle grinder also set off a small fire.
A friend of Mr Elyas who rushed to the scene was able to alert firefighters before the blaze took hold of the entire store.
Mr Elyas said his store had been burgled up to 13 times in the past five years.
The latest robbery was the third in three months, he said.
“This time they spent 13 minutes inside. They were taking their sweet time, they were relaxed,” he said.
“I’m so frustrated. Nobody is paying the price except my family.”
Mr Elyas said police had arrived at the store while the thieves were still inside.
Police gave chase, he said, but did not catch up with the thieves.
A police spokesman could not confirm reports the thieves had driven at the officers who confronted them.
The Navana was last seen at Roxburgh Park, the spokesman said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.