Victoria thieves get nasty surprise as they try to raid grocery store

This is the extraordinary moment a shop owner turned the tables on would-be thieves with a smoke bomb after they attempted to steal from him.

Peter Kordos, the owner of Kinglake Foodworks, in Kinglake, Victoria installed Smoke Shield technology last year after his store was previously robbed.

And a year on, it seems the $7000 investment paid off as thieves were left shocked when smoke exploded in their face this week. 

The group, who wore balaclavas and gloves, had only been in the empty store for a few seconds when they attempted to take cigarettes.

But after reaching for the goods, they shop was filled up with a thick cascade of smoke.

An alarm went off and strobe lights blared which saw the robbers run off scared.

‘[They] get their hopes up, they can get in and once they’re in they can’t see or hear each other,’ store owner Peter Kordos told Channel Nine.

The group, who wore balaclavas and gloves, had only been in the empty store for a few seconds when they attempted to take cigarettes

Peter Kordos, the owner of Kinglake Foodworks, in Kinglake, Victoria installed Smoke Shield technology last year after his store was robbed

‘Hopefully they tell their friends that it’s not an easy target.’

The shopkeeper added it felt ‘fantastic’ to have caught them in the act. 

‘Thank god we had it,’ he said.

‘It was extremely satisfying.’

The men have not been caught.