128 tobacco robberies

The Herald reports:

The Herald on Sunday has found 128 tobacco-related hits on petrol stations, liquor stores and dairies since the beginning of last year. These were from media reports as police do not keep a record.

The actual number is likely to be higher. …

The increasing tax level on tobacco makes it more and more valuable for robberies. It is probably the most valuable thing you can steal from a dairy.

Most people now use EFTPOS to pay for items so I suspect the average dairy has say $200 cash only.

A box of 10 cigarette packets will soon have a retail value of $300.  Is there anything else in a dairy that is worth $300 let alone is so light?

A robber with a backpack can probably easily for 10 boxes in, and do it in two minutes. So $3,000 of value is why tobacco is now becoming a black market item robbed to order.