BURGLARS broke into Sip n Smile liquor store on Middle Road Chalan Laulau and stole tobacco products worth around $2,000, an employee told Variety.
A store employee closed the shop at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18, but when he returned the next day at 10 a.m., he found the place in disarray.
“The front looked fine, so I was thinking there’s nothing wrong with it. Then as I came in, I saw the place was trashed,” he said.
The employee said documents and cigarette packs were strewn on the ground, and “every drawer they saw they opened.”
The thieves gained entry by forcing their way from the back of the building which is overgrown with tangantangan. The thieves forced open a wood and screen window, broke through the plywood that served as a barrier, and then made their way into the liquor store’s storage area.
The employee said from there, the thieves attempted to enter a door that led to the liquor store, but it was deadbolted.
The employee said he could tell someone attempted entry because the door was damaged.
The thieves then broke an adjacent window through which they entered and unlocked the door that was deadbolted.
The employee said the thieves got away with around $2,000 in tobacco products, which included cartons of cigarettes such as Bensons, Virginia Slims, and Parliaments. They also took vapes, chewing tobacco, feminine products, bottles of Patron, bottles of Champagne, fragrances, and a little less than $100, which was the store’s petty cash fund.
The employee said the store has security cameras and they are reviewing footage. However, he said the thieves cut the line that goes from the security cameras to the system’s storage unit. He added that the thieves also used a broom to angle the cameras away from the activities going on during the burglary.
The employee said the Department of Public Safety responded to the scene to conduct an investigation and retrieve fingerprints. The security footage will be turned over to DPS when it is available. He said the building owner also has security cameras and will be reviewing footage.
When asked about the crime rate on Saipan, the employee said he is hopeful it doesn’t get too bad on island, but admitted, “I really think, yes, it’s getting worse.”
In a media release, DPS said no arrests had been made in the case. If you have any information about this incident, call the Criminal Investigation Division at (670) 664-9042 or the Crime Stoppers Hotline at (670) 234-7272 if you wish to remain anonymous.
The burglars entered through this window to gain entry into Sip n Smile liquor store on Middle Road.
Sip n Smile’s security system is in disarray after the thieves cut the line to the storage unit.
The outside back area of Sip n Smile is overgrown with tangantangan. Behind the trees is the window that the thieves used to gain entry into Sip n Smile.
The burglars broke the window after a deadbolted door prevented their entry.
A door frame damaged by the burglars.
An office area at Sip n Smile.
Sip n Smile on Middle Road, Chalan Laulau.
The ransacked cash register area.
