DENVER — Denver7 has learned that at least five vape shops across the Denver metro have been burglarized in the past month.
The latest happened around 3 a.m. Friday at Darth Vaper Smoke Shop, located at 4952 East 62nd Avenue in Commerce City. Owner Alaa Sawaged said his other shop, Cloudz Smokes and Vapes in Wheat Ridge, was burglarized on Feb. 7.
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"It's getting out of control," said Sawaged. "It's getting to the point where some of these businesses are going to start shutting down."
Sawaged said both burglaries were very similar. Surveillance video shows a group of three to four suspects using a blue vehicle to break into the shops. Both times, the suspects got away with $2,000 to $3,000 in products.
Vape Street in Arvada, Simms Smokes and Vapes in Arvada and Smoking Vape in Highlands Ranch were also burglarized in February.
Law enforcement said it's too early to tell if any of the burglaries are connected.
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Sawaged said more needs to be done in terms of punishment.
"When criminals know that it's a slap on the wrist, they don't care. So they'll come back and do it again," he said. "We're small mom-and-pop shops, we're not franchises or anything. We're getting hit with $25,000, $30,000 of damage and stolen goods every time."
Anyone with information about any of the burglaries is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
