Four robbers armed with steel mallets have shattered a jewellery store's glass cabinets and stuffed valuables into bags in front of shocked shoppers in Melbourne.
The smash-and-grab took little more than 20 seconds before the balaclava-wearing thieves ran into a waiting four-wheel drive in the car park of the Westfield Plenty Valley in Mill Park about 11.45am on Tuesday.
Robert Kovacic was in his kiosk outside the Michael Hill jewellers when he heard the bangs of the offenders' weapons on the glass.
"I just bolted out of my shop and saw these individuals standing at the glass counters helping themselves to the jewellery," the Mister Minit worker told AAP.
"They took what they could, they didn't have much time.
"(The staff) were very upset and are very shocked - I think it'll hit them very soon."
Michelle Tham said shoppers were running everywhere as the offenders began looting.
"Didn't know what was going on ... I've never left the shops so quickly before," she posted on Facebook.
Police say they are searching for a stolen black BMW SUV with registration plates VLR 001.
Police found the stolen car abandoned at an intersection 10km away in Kingsbury about 12.50pm.
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