VARNELL, Ga. — A group of four masked and gloved bandits busted through a convenience store glass door with a sledgehammer and made off with $13,000 in an early-morning burglary in Varnell in north Georgia on Monday. 

The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the burglary at Harry’s on Highway 2, which is thought to be part of a string of crimes in the area by a precision crew, according to Capt. Rick Swiney. 

“We believe it may be a crew who has done this before,” Swiney said. “They may not be from our immediate area. We have some video, but it doesn’t tell us much.”

Video posted on the Varnell Police Department Facebook page shows the four working quickly and not lingering after retrieving a safe and making off with the cash. Other than approximate sizes of the four, Swiney said little can be learned from the video about the identities of the criminals. 

“They came prepared,” Swiney said. “This is not their first time doing something like this.”

According to the initial incident report provided by the Varnell Police Department, the group took approximately $1,000 from two registers they smashed with the sledgehammer and made off with a safe that contained $12,000. 

The investigation was turned over to Whitfield County, and Swiney said Detective Eric Burnett is handling it. Swiney said Burnett has been in contact with Murray County officials, who reported a similar-style crime earlier this year, and with other law enforcement agencies across the area.