A gang of men tied up a garage shop assistant in Crawley, before stealing thousands of cigarettes.
The robbery happened at the Texaco garage in Woodfield Road, Northgate, Crawley, at about 3am today.
The worker, a man in his 20s, was on the forecourt when a group of between four and six men hit him over the head, before tying him up inside the garage.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 cigarettes were stolen.
The men were all wearing dark clothes and were covering their faces.
Detective Constable Amanda Leigh, of Crawley CID, said: "This was a very frightening experience for the victim.
"I would also like to reassure people that this incident was specifically targetted at the petrol station for the theft of the cigarettes.
"If anyone is offered cheap cigarettes for sale I would also ask them to contact police."
Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999, quoting serial 117 of February 17, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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