An armed and masked gang have robbed the Applegreen filling station on the Crankill Road in Ballymena during the night.
Cash, cigarettes and the contents of a charity box were taken.
A staff member was approached by a man outside the premises who was armed with a handgun. He directed the employee back inside the store and was then joined by three other men, dressed in black coats and dark-coloured bottoms. They were wearing white ski masks and gloves.
At one point, the gunman hid behind the till and instructed the staff member to serve a woman. He then produced clear plastic bin bags and instructed the employee to fill them with cigarettes. He also took a sum of cash and the contents of a charity box.
The staff member was then tied up with his own belt and a length of wire to a drinks’ machine. The employee managed to free himself after a period of time and raise the alarm.
Detective Sergeant Peter Crothers is appealing to anyone who was in the Crankill Road area this morning between 2.15am and 3.15am and saw any suspicious activity to get in touch with police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 142 of 9/11/18.
“We would also like to speak to the female customer who unwittingly entered the premises during the incident. Whilst we do not believe she was connected in any way to the robbery, she may have information that could help with our investigation into what took place,” he added.
Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.