Around 80 watches and a haul of jewellery were stolen during a smash-and-grab raid at Smith’s Showcase Jewellers in Portland on 13 October.
In the early hours of the morning, an axe was used to smash the glass windows of the store before the suspects fled in a stolen vehicle.
As reported by the Warrnambool Standard, owner Shaun Smith hoped the courts would deal with the offenders.
"At the end of the day, they often catch these people and not much happens. The damage they cause and how much work these people cause is enormous,” he said.
“This is the country and you want people to have something to look at walking down the street. But, the problem is the lack of consequences, that lack of penalty for those caught.
"Criminals are acting without consideration of the public, and they have no fear of the police. They have no respect for anyone trying to make a living. The courts need to get fair dinkum.”
The stolen vehicle was discovered in the nearby town of Heywood, where a second vehicle was stolen. The second stolen vehicle was abandoned in Terang, more than 100 kilometres away.
64-year-old Smith has been a jeweller for nearly two decades and fears that crime across the country is getting worse.
“We don't want to get to be like Melbourne where everything valuable has to be locked up at night,” he said.
“It will take weeks to fix the front windows, the glass has to be ordered in and it's not good for businesses. The watches were his main target. They rock up with the lights out; he gets out as the passenger, jumps out, takes the targeted stock, and they drive off - all within a minute.
He added: "They come across the police on the way out, evade police and speed off at excessive speed. They have no fear of getting caught."
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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