Cops hunt fanny pack porn store robbers

Cops are seeking four fanny pack thieves who specialize in robbing porn stores, peep shows, and now, grocery stores, in the mid-town area.

Shortly before 3 a.m. April 3 at the East West grocery at 532 Eighth Ave., three men who claimed to have a gun tossed an employee to the floor and forced him to surrender his wallet and relinquish money from the cash register. Less than half an hour later, three suspects went to Vihan's Video, a peep show at 592 Eighth Ave., and yanked a fanny pack containing about $300 off an employee’s waist before fleeing. Three men also struck The Erotica, 336 Eighth Ave., in the wee hours of April 1, striking an employee on the head, and holding him down while they peeled off his cash-stuffed belly bag. They had struck once before on March 17, injuring an employee's arm before removing his money-filled fanny pack and running away.

The same perpetrators are thought to be involved with two similar fanny pack heists - one of which involved four perpetrators - last year at The Erotica.

Adult entertainment store employees favor fanny packs because they are ideal for making change for customers en route to or who don't want to leave individual entertainment booths, said an employee of Vihan's Video, who identified himself only as "Lalith."

"But now, fanny packs no more!" said Lalith. Where Vihan's Video employees keep money now, said Lalith, "is a secret."