Police scooped a surprising two-for-one deal during a supermarket shoplifting bust, when an extra, unrelated thief was caught.

Waitematā police arrested four men yesterday after they were called to a Barrys Point Rd supermarket about 4.50pm to respond to a shoplifting gang.

Three men were noticed “filling their backpacks with alcohol and meat”, Waitematā East area response manager Senior Sergeant CJ Miles said.

“Once they’d tallied up $811 worth of stolen items, the group attempted to leave the supermarket,” he said.

Store security and two members of the public were able to stop one of the men while his companions fled.

Police arrived and located the other two thieves, arresting all three men and recovering a shopping list they had drafted of items to steal.

In a surprising turn, officers also caught and arrested another man independently attempting to steal groceries from the same store.

The 44-year-old has been summonsed on shoplifting charges, while the other three shoplifters are set to appear in the North Shore District Court on April 24.

They are aged 45, 55, and 57.

Miles said the arrests reflect the police’s ongoing effort to combat retail theft.

“Waitematā East police have achieved a 31% increase in retail crime resolutions year-on-year.

“We encourage retailers and our wider community to continue to report shoplifting so police can take action.”