Oxley police, backed by New England officers, are leading the hunt for the ram raiders who hit Apsley Motors in Walcha in the early hours of Monday.

On Tuesday, Armidale police recovered the stolen Holden Captiva - which was stolen from a Beardy Street, Armidale, home on Sunday night - after it was dumped in the city.

It was seized for forensic testing, in the hope it will provide a breakthrough in the case.

"They have taken the vehicle back to the police station for examination, and hopefully we will get the DNA of one or more of the people who were in attendance at the local service station in the early hours of Monday morning," Walcha officer-in-charge, Sergeant Anthony Smith, said.

Oxley detectives and Walcha police have been following a number of leads into the early-morning ram raid on Monday.

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The four offenders used the Captiva to drive into the front of the Transwest Fuels-owned Apsley Motors service station in Fitzroy Street.

The ram raid unfolded about 12.30am, the group forcing entry into the shopfront through the glass front door. Three people entered and removed a cigarette case from above the front counter and a small safe containing the weekend takings from underneath the counter, police said.

The incident was captured on CCTV. Unable to open the rear door of the Captiva, the offenders left the cigarette cabinet on the driveway of the service station and fled with the safe.

It's understood they got away with a sum of cash and cigarettes.

Police were alerted and soon discovered the getaway car captured in the CCTV had been stolen shortly before the ram raid.

Detectives are appealing for anyone with information, or who might have seen the Captiva being driven in the early hours of Monday, to contact Oxley detectives on 6768 2999. Investigations are continuing.

On its Facebook page, the business said it wanted to thank the "local boys in blue for their prompt response".