What the? New Zealand is using fog to fight robbers
An unlikely new weapon against crime is being rolled out in New Zealand.
CCTV footage shows a pair of would-be robbers smashing the door of a service station before a fog cannon is deployed.
The deterrent sends a sense white cloud of smoke towards the offenders.
The device works by flooding the room with an intense fog within seconds, and while it’s harmless it does blind humans until it’s ventilated.
The fog cannons also trigger an alarm.
The intruders, stunned by the crime prevention tool, were seen fleeing the Mobile service station about 3.10am on December 23.
Detective Senior Sergeant Kevin Tiernan told the New Zealand Herald the cannons were in response to a spate of smash-and-grab robberies across the country.
'The cannon fills the store up with fog, there is zero visibility,' he said.
Mr Tiernan said it was only the second fog-cannon he had seen deployed but that they were steadily being rolled out across the country.
The cannons cost up to $5000NZD to install and have been popular in petrol stations and luxury fashion outlets.
