Three men have been arrested after breaking into an Auckland service station with an axe.
Photo: Google Maps / Screenshot
Police said five men arrived at the service station on East Coast Road on the North Shore in a stolen car, at about 4am.
When they smashed the front doors with an axe, a sole staff member activated a smoke screen defence system before raising the alarm from a locked room.
The men stole cigarettes before driving around the corner and abandoning the car.
They then got into a second vehicle, which was found by officers shortly after, police said.
Two managed to run away while three people were taken into custody.