Thousands of dollars worth of luxury goods have been stolen after a brazen ram raid on a high-end designer store.
The Hermès boutique in Brisbane’s CBD was targeted just after 3am on Monday, when a stolen Mercedes SUV was deliberately driven into the shopfront at the corner of Edward and Elizabeth streets.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Luxury Hermès store hit in Brisbane ram raid
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The alarm was raised when a local security team detected activity inside the store and contacted the manager, who then alerted police.
“Police were called to a business on Edward Street to reports a stolen Mercedes SUV had deliberately driven into the front of a business,” Queensland Police Service (QPS) said.
“Three unknown offenders then loaded items from the store into a second vehicle.
“The offenders left in a third vehicle with both vehicles leaving the scene.”
A crime scene spans the busy CBD intersection after thieves stormed the designer Hermes boutique and cleared out stock. Credit: 7NEWS Thousands of dollars worth of goods were stolen from the Brisbane Hermes store. Credit: 7NEWS Shattered glass and an emptied display mark the aftermath of the ram raid on the Hermes boutique in Brisbane’s CBD. Credit: 7NEWS “It was a very quick entry and a quick exit. Police were very quickly on scene and we were very close to apprehending one of them. However, they managed to evade our apprehension at the moment,” Senior Sergeant Leonie Scott said.
Scott added that the offenders were all “heavily clothed and with face masks and coverings, possibly gloves as well”.
Police allege the Mercedes was stolen from a Coorparoo home on April 1 and was abandoned at the scene.
Inside the store, displays typically filled with designer handbags worth tens of thousands of dollars were stripped bare.
The scale of the theft is expected to be significant, as even Hermès accessories fetch high prices.
Founded in Paris in 1837, the brand is one of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses, known for its craftsmanship, exclusivity and ultra-high prices, especially its iconic handbags like the Birkin and Kelly.
A single hair scrunchie retails for about $640, while handbags can range from $30,000 to more than $100,000.
Inside the store, display shelves sit bare following the coordinated smash-and-grab. Credit: 7NEWS Retail prices from the official Hermès online store show even small accessories costing hundreds, with handbags reaching several thousand dollars. Credit: Hermes.com “There was a number of items, particularly high-end items including jewellery, handbags and clothing,” Scott said.
“So we’re appealing to the public that if they see any high-end Hermes items advertised or for sale on social media sites or selling platforms, could they please ring Crimestoppers.”
An extensive crime scene has been established at the busy intersection in the CBD, with forensic officers examining the damaged storefront and surrounding area.
Police are urging anyone with relevant information, CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.