Two men who robbed a Whangarei liquor store got much less than they bargained for, with three of the four bottles they stole non-alcoholic.
The pair walked into Cactus Liquor on Manse St around 4pm on Monday, where they were captured clearly on CCTV footage - one with his tongue hanging out, two bottles in hand.
But police say they only managed to get away with one bottle of alcohol - a fortified Greek wine - and three non-alcoholic wines.
It's possible they didn't realise their haul wasn't very alcoholic until after they got into their black two-door BMW hatchback.
Whangarei area prevention manager Senior Sergeant John Fagan didn't think the thieves planned their raid particularly well.
"It doesn't sound like an overly organised job so to speak.
"My impression is they were looking for something to drink that night and if they got alcoholic stuff they were going to have a good night," he told The Northern Advocate.
Police have a number of leads in the case, but have so far no managed to identify the culprits.
But they say the clarity of the in-store footage and the location of the cameras are "excellent" and makes identifying the culprits "much easier".
They still want the public's help to find out who the men are. Anyone with information should call Whangarei police on (09) 430 4500 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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