A Far North youth has been busted allegedly selling stolen cigarettes on Russell’s main street ̶ just a short drive from a service station burgled a few days earlier.

Senior Constable Mike Gorrie, of Russell police, said the GAS service station at Orongo Bay was broken into on Monday night with the offender entering via a small side window.

The offender had, with some difficulty, forced open the cigarette cabinet with a screwdriver and taken coins from the till. A number of vapes and bottles of vaping liquid had also been stolen.

A dive bag was taken from under the counter, presumably to carry the stolen items.

On Wednesday Gorrie said he received a phone call from a member of the public reporting a youth selling cigarettes from the boot of a car on Cass St in Russell’s town centre.

The vehicle was stopped a short time later and a number of packets of cigarettes were recovered, Gorrie said.

Inquiries at the youth’s home, in the Kāeo/Whangaroa area, uncovered a large number of empty vape boxes and the blue Pro Dive bag taken from the service station.

Also located by police at the address was a bumbag identical to that worn by the offender captured on the service station’s security cameras.

It was found to contain gloves, vice grips and screwdrivers.

Gorrie said the 16-year-old, who was known to police, had made a full admission.

He had been referred to police Youth Aid because of his age.

Gorrie thanked the Russell resident whose vigilance had led him to the alleged offender.

He urged all Northlanders to be wary of buying items such as cigarettes on the street or via social media, and to report any such activity immediately.

“If anyone offers you something that’s suspiciously cheap, it’s almost certainly dodgy,” he said.

Knowingly or recklessly buying stolen items is itself a crime. Receiving stolen property carries a maximum penalty of three months’ jail for goods worth less than $500, one year for items worth $500-$1000, and seven years for property worth more than $1000.