Increasing of taxes resulted more thieving
Maybe primary intentions of governors when introduced smoking ban were to make thing better, but as time showed results aren’t as good as it was expected. After implementation of restrictions, police officials had registered increase of tobacco thieving and contraband. Situation became more acute when it were increased.
For example,Cigarette thieves are becoming bold -- another indication that the dollar-per-pack state tax increase has made cigarettes a lucrative commodity for criminals.
About 5 o’clock this morning, two men walked into the Kum & Go convenience store at 2930 Hickman Road in Des Moines and loaded their arms with cigarettes and then fled from the store.
One of the men is believed to have taken 8 to 12 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes. The other man took an undetermined number of Marlboro packs.
The men jumped into a red sport utility vehicle and drove west on Hickman.
The Kum & Go theft was captured on the store’s surveillance camera. But no arrests have been reported.
Police said the robbers did not bother with taking anything from the store’s cash drawer.
In a similar incident Sunday night, a man walked into the Git-N-Go Convenience Store at 816 E. Euclid Ave. in Des Moines about 11 p.m. and ordered the clerk to walk out from behind the counter.
She obeyed and watched as the man then went behind the counter and grabbed more than 20 cartons of cigarettes and dumped them into a garbage container. The thief then took the container as he headed out the door.
On his way out of the store the man paused and told the clerk he was sorry.
Police will be checking the store video surveillance camera today in an effort to identify the thief.
