‘They Had No Idea’: Booze Bandits Bungle Break-In at This Country’s Only Non-Alcoholic Liquor Store, Flee Empty-Handed
A hooch heist goes dry when a trio of alleged booze burglars bust into New Zealand’s only alcohol-free liquor shop. (Photo: Sober Curious AF/Instagram)
Three thieves forcefully entered a liquor shop on Tuesday using a stolen vehicle, but their hopes of a lucrative heist were swiftly dashed as they realized the supposedly high-end spirits were, in fact, non-alcoholic products from New Zealand’s only non-alcoholic liquor store.
As reported by the NZ Herald, the incident unfolded around 1:25 a.m. at the Curious AF Bottle Shop in Ponsonby. The store, owned by Lisa King, offers a diverse range of non-alcoholic beverages, pre-mixed mocktails and spirit alternatives.
Appearing to target top-shelf spirits, the thieves snagged bottles of whiskey, tequila and rosé. They also walked out with some AF-branded products, including a hat.
“They went for what I think they thought was a really expensive spirits,” King informed the news outlet. “So the whiskey, the tequila, they took all the rose, they were very particular about it. They also took some AF products… oh and a hat!”
Law enforcement swiftly responded, arresting a 34-year-old man now due to appear in Auckland District Court. The Curious AF team, finding humor in the situation, shared CCTV footage on social media. The video depicts the trio ramming a car into the shop’s glass doors before making off with their peculiar haul.
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Commenting on the bizarre nature of the ram raid, Instagram users poked a little fun at the suspects.
“Alcohol-free” not “alcohol is free“ … if only they could read,” one wrote.
“Police said it was the first ram raid where the car seemed to be driving safely on the right side of the road,” another added in jest.
According to the report, the trio eventually abandoned the stolen car on a nearby street, leaving nearly all of the looted non-alcoholic liquor inside it.
“I think they had no idea,” King added, per The NZ Herald. “I could have imagined the reaction in the car afterwards finding out that all these products didn’t actually have alcohol in them and then abandoning them all.”
Despite the unexpected incident, the Curious AF team remains undeterred, with plans to enter a new market later this year. King, while amused by the attempted heist, is contemplating additional security measures, such as installing a bollard in front of the store.
“I thought the whole front would just be all broken,” King expressed. “I think we just felt really lucky actually in terms of ram raids, the damage could have been so much worse.”
Addressing the contemporary surge in sober drinking practices, King said, “It’s so nice to see this category now becoming so normal.”
“Even for the ram-raiders… alcohol-free has become so mainstream that even thieves want a piece of it.”
Oddly enough, a similar incident occurred last month when someone broke into a 400-year-old building occupied by a prominent gin business. The suspect was unaware that, despite obvious warning signs positioned behind a window display, the gin bottles they left with actually contained nothing but water.
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