A manhunt has been launched after crooks battered a shop owner and stole £47,000 worth of jewellery in a violent heist.
Four masked men broke into the shop just after 5pm on Tuesday (10 June) armed with hammers and metal bars.
They shattered glass display cabinets and looted the store before fleeing in a stolen grey Honda CR-V station wagon.
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Business owner Bijay Sunar, 38, was brutally attacked during the robbery, as reported by Need To Know.
He tried to stop the thieves and was struck twice in the head with a hammer.
Bijay’s wife, Samita Sunar, told 9News: “I was so shocked when I saw him in the shop all covered with blood.”
Police have since released CCTV of the crooks online in a post which has garnered 158,000 views.
In the video, the face of one of the men, wearing neon yellow, can clearly be seen.
All four men can be seen taking jewellery from the shop wearing balaclavas.
The crook’s getaway vehicle was later confirmed to have been stolen from a nearby suburb on Sunday (8 June).
A witness described the attack, which occurred on Gympie Road in Chermside, Brisbane, Australia, as like something out of a horror movie.
Emergency services were called to the scene and Bijay was rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
He remains in intensive care with an eye fracture, internal ear bleeding and difficulty hearing.
He is reportedly in a stable condition.
His business has been deeply affected by the crime as the store was filled with 24-carat gold jewellery.
Losses, including damage to the building, have been estimated to be as high as £239,000.
Queensland Police is appealing for information on the four men who remain at large.
According to police, the group may be linked to a similar armed robbery in Lutwyche, Brisbane, which took place on 8 May.
Detective Senior Sergeant Ken Rogers, of the North Brisbane Criminal Investigation Branch, condemned the violence.
He said: “There is absolutely no place for violent crimes in Brisbane’s north.
“These offences are outrageous.
“We have zero tolerance for anyone who puts our community’s safety or their livelihood at risk.
“Detectives are actively investigating this matter, reviewing CCTV and dashcam footage, speaking with witnesses, and pursuing several lines of enquiry.”
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