Supermarket raiders nabbed when car breaks down

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A group of three had just fled Greenlane Countdown shortly before their vehicle broke down on the Southern Motorway, blocking a centre lane on Saturday afternoon.

A Countdown customer who witnessed the theft and attempted to prevent it reported that the broken-down car was the same one she had seen.

Police arrested two suspects who had allegedly stolen groceries worth over $1000.

Two Auckland women in their 30s have been charged with theft from the supermarket as well as two unrelated thefts.

One young person was also located in the vehicle and referred to Youth Aid. The stolen property was recovered.

Witness Kate Malster was paying for her groceries when she saw a woman with a full trolley running full speed towards the supermarket exit.

Employees from Countdown were shouting "stop, don't do this" to the woman before she exited the store.

Malster chased the woman into the car park supermarket, attempting to grab the trolley and telling her to stop before she escaped.

The woman reportedly pushed the trolley to two other people that were waiting at the rear-end of the getaway car and unloaded the goods.

"I have never seen food go so fast from a trolley into the back of a car... It was absolutely orchestrated so this definitely isn't their first time," said Malster.

"I had to back out when I did as I am only 10 weeks post spinal surgery," said Malster.

"The countdown staff offered for me to come in and gave me a box of chocolates and water while I tried to calm myself down.

"I wasn't expecting that in my long weekend," she said.