A policeman who stopped to buy a pack of chips has used a smooth quick-step to nab a shoplifter as they tried to sneak out of a supermarket with a stolen basket of meat, police say.
The officer was on his way to work in the Auckland suburb of Henderson but made a quick pit-stop at a supermarket to replace a pack of chips he had "allegedly" eaten that belonged to a colleague, a police bulletin said.
"At the same time, an offender was taking the wrong exit out of the Lincoln Road supermarket with his basket filled with hundreds of dollars' worth of meat - our officer could immediately see what was happening," police said.
The man appears to stand looking around in bewilderment, raising a briefly grasping left hand to the departing cache of meat, before turning around slowly to walk out of the store looking uncertain of what has just happened.
Meanwhile, the officer continued into the store to deposit the basket back in the hands of supermarket staff.
The police bulletin praised the officer for his cool instincts and precision in his quick-thinking counter-heist.
The alleged shoplifter had been identified, they said: "And we will be speaking to him about the theft shortly."
However, they warned the public not to try to take matters into their own hands in confronting shoplifters, and instead leave it to the professionals.
"Our staff will continue to use their training and risk assessment when they see something happening in the community, no matter whether they are on or off duty."
