Youths target telcos in 'scary' brazen robberies
Frightening vision obtained by A Current Affair shows a string of brazen robberies at telco stores across the country.
The robberies have sparked fears innocent shoppers could get caught in the chaos and have prompted Vodafone, Optus, and Telstra to introduce extra security measures.
In the footage, gangs of youths are recorded targeting phone retailers in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne suburbs, pulling high-value merchandise from display tables and fleeing.
Frightening footage shows groups of youths targeting telco stores in robberies. A Current Affair
In many cases, the thugs clash with staff.
One long-time Melbourne telco employee, Jenny, said the crime has never been so bad.
"They're coming in, they're ripping benches off, they're ripping phones off, the customers are getting involved, trying to stop people and these gangs don't care," she said.
It is suspected the phones are being sent overseas. A Current Affair
"I've been hit trying to stop them, it's so intimidating and scary."
Of the violent hits at telco stores broadcast by A Current Affair, seven were recorded last month.
In one incident, at a store in Melbourne's Footscray, four young men tear the display table from the ground and run from the store with phones.
Employees try and stop the thieves, with one even running towards the gang with a mop.
The brazen crimes take place in full view of staff and customers. A Current Affair
The expensive stolen phones are likely being sold to overseas markets, as the industry would block the device in Australia.
"If the devices are exported overseas then of course they will be able to be used," the CEO of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, Chris Althaus, said.
According to the association, the offenders are rarely caught by police.
"The apprehension of these people is incredibly challenging to date," Mr Althaus said.
The groups of thieves have been known to tangle with staff and customers. A Current Affair
The major telcos are doing everything they can to protect staff.
High-value products will no longer be on display in many stores in a bid to reduce temptation for thieves.
"Depending on the location, you'll certainly see heightened security around clamps on devices. The devices will be alarmed, you may see security presence and that may not necessarily be a security guard at the door, it may be someone just operating in store in plain clothes," Mr Althaus told A Current Affair.
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