An investigation is underway after a brazen theft in the Birmingham Apple store at the Summit shopping center Friday morning.

At least three masked men ran into the store just before 10:30 a.m. They started breaking locks on the display cabinets, grabbing as many phones as they could before they left the store.

“They went straight for the merchandise and ran out,’’ said Birmingham police spokesman Officer Truman Fitzgerald.

There were multiple customers inside the store at the time of the smash-and-grab. No weapons were displayed, and no injuries reported.

The suspects fled the scene in a dark SUV.

Police investigators quickly notified the Apple store in Huntsville as a precaution.

“We’re going to be looking into if this is a ring or not,’’ Fitzgerald said.

It wasn’t immediately clear how much merchandize was stolen.

“For any group of individuals to go into one of our busiest shopping areas during business hours,’’ Fitzgerald said, “just goes to show you how bold the criminal element is in our society.”

“Let us point out that a phone taken from the Apple store is completely useless,’’ Fitzgerald said. “For anybody out there who gets this idea, these are phones that haven’t been activated. Apple’s security allows for the phone to be of no use until it’s activated.”

“Your putting your life and other people’s lives in danger for nothing,’’ he said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.