EDMONTON -- The owner of a chain of antique stores in Edmonton is once again crediting his high-tech security system with thwarting off would-be robbers.

Clinton Beck of Beck Antiques and Jewellery Inc. told CTV News Edmonton that a man was buzzed into the antiques dealer’s 124 Street location early Tuesday afternoon.

“He held the door open which right away tells my staff that something weird is going to happen,” the owner said. “They were already preparing for the robbery at that time.”

Beck says three men then ran into the store, one of them holding a knife.

“One of them jumped over a counter right here,” he said from inside his store. “At which time the smoke machine defensive system went off.”

Beck says that machine blasted the man in the face with smoke.

“He just basically turned around and ran out the door. It was literally that quick.”

The store owner is no stranger to attempted robberies. He says this is the fourth one in two months.

“It’s getting worse, not better.”

Last November, thieves drove a truck through Beck’s south side location.

In 2018 three crooks used a battering ram mounted to the back of a van to break down the door of that same location.

In both those incidents the smoke machine was also deployed, limiting the intruders’ options.

Beck says low visibility caused those thieves to get away with a minimal payday. 

With the number of attempted robberies continuing to rise, the antiques and jewelry dealer says they’re in the process of building a bulletproof glass bunker around the store to give staff added protection.

“In this business it’s going to happen,” said Beck. “I’ve had it happen probably 30 times in my lifetime. I’ve been held up at gunpoint, knifepoint, robbed.”

Despite all the trouble throughout his career, Beck says time has helped him get used to it and he has no plans to change his occupation. 

“Ninety nine point nine per cent of the time it’s actually awesome working here,” said Beck. “It’s just that point one per cent of the time that’s terrible.”

The Edmonton Police Service is investigating the incident.