A TWO-DAY rampage that left one Launceston business destroyed and five others damaged is the latest in a property crime spike that's being linked to the drug ice.
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Business owners have told The Examiner they are on edge after a dramatic string of burglaries culminated in a fiery ram raid at Youngtown on Wednesday morning.
"In that particular incident the vehicle caught alight or was set alight, totally destroying the vehicle and causing extensive damage to the shopfront," Northern CIB Detective Inspector John King said.
The first business to be hit was Norwood IGA on Tuesday morning.
Police allege that about 5.30am a group of up to five males rammed a stolen car into the IGA's roller door.
After entering the store but failing to access the safe, the group moved on to Roadside Products at St Leonards, police allege.
Company business manager Margaret Burt alleged that they broke in through a roller door, damaging it in the process before stealing iPhones, iPads and a Go-pro camera.
"They were in and out very quickly," she said.
"They went for quick grab items."
Next on the hit-list was the Kings Bridge Bar in Paterson Street, where an undisclosed amount of cash was prised from the restaurant's safe.
Then on Wednesday morning police were called to a burglary in progress at the Evandale IGA in Russell Street.
Police allege the same group of men forced entry into the premises about 1am, stealing cigarettes and other goods.
Witnesses said a white Toyota Camry fled the scene.
Less than an hour later the West Launceston IGA in Brougham Street was hit by the same group, police allege.
Dramatic CCTV footage shows a group of hooded males gaining entry with a tyre lever.
Inside they tried to jemmy open the ATM machine and kick down an office door.
Two cash registers containing about $500 were stolen.
Once in the getaway car, the thieves reversed into the store's front doors, causing more than $10,000 damage, possibly by accident.
About an hour later, motorists driving along Hobart Road at Youngtown would have noticed that a car had ploughed bonnet first into the Southside Supermarket.
Entry was not gained but the car caught fire, destroying it and causing about $150,000 damage to the shopfront.
The store was being boarded up on Wednesday afternoon to prevent access to the owners' home, which is directly connected to the shop.
A man staying in a nearby property said he had just arrived from Brisbane and couldn't wait to leave.
Police allege the car used in the burglaries was stolen from a Mowbray home on Monday.
"They've got into these businesses through a variety of means ranging from jemmying the front door, backing into roller doors and also, in one incident, driving a stolen motor vehicle straight through the shop front," Detective Inspector King alleged.
pbillings@examiner.com.au
