FOOTAGE of a ute travelling along a dark street has been released as police piece together how an ATM was stolen from a tobacconist.
Officers were called to the business on Myall Road at Tea Gardens just before 3am on March 16 after reports of a robbery.
Police were told three people forced their way into the tobacconist shop and stole an ATM.
The machine was loaded onto a black Ford utility and the trio fled.
Police launched an investigation and discovered the black ute had been stolen from a home at Corlette just a short time earlier.
Officers found the vehicle a short time later on Tarean Road at Karuah, but a pursuit was sparked after it failed to stop.
Police said that chase had to be called off for safety reasons.
As officers work to piece together how the smash-and-grab incident unfolded, detectives have publicly released CCTV footage of a second ute.
Police said a "dark utility" was seen in the Corlette area "earlier that night".
The vehicle has been described as a late-model, dark-coloured ute with an awning attached to the roof.
As detectives continue their investigations, they have urged anyone with information about the vehicle shown in the footage, or about the ATM theft, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the online portal.
Strike Force Weemala was formed in January to investigate two separate break-ins at commercial premises.
One was the Tea Gardens tobacconist robbery, the other, a break-in at a Williamtown service station at about 8am on January 15.
