$20,000 worth of cigarettes stolen in Melbourne gas station robbery

A thief armed with an angle grinder robbed a family-run gas station of more than $20,000 worth of cigarettes.

They say the unknown assailant opened the doors of a McKinnon gas station at 5 a.m. with his white SUV.

Once inside, he reportedly used an angle grinder to cut locks and steal cigarettes and money.

The owners of the AMPOL store said it was a blow to their business.

“We will suffer a loss, a huge loss because we started recently during COVID, now this heist will have a total impact on our business,” said employee Zara Alikhan.

The police are investigating.