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Five of them pulled into the Exxon station on the eastbound highway in Ridgefield Park in a silver sedan shortly before 4:30 a.m. Sunday, Police Chief Joseph Rella said.
All wore hoodies, face coverings and gloves.
Although no weapon was shown, one of the robbers held his hand over his jacket pocket, suggesting he had a gun, the chief said.
The quintet fled with $3,000 in cash.
Minutes later, a similar car also containing five similarly-dressed occupants pulled into the Sunoco station in Palisades Park.
They entered the 7-Eleven there, walked around the register and pushed the clerk into the store office, Palisades Park Police Lt. Alex Monteleone said.
No weapon was shown, he said, although one of the robbers kept his hand in his jacket pocket, which had a noticeable bulge that the clerk believed was a gun.
The robbers opened the register, took $2,000 in cash and fled east on the highway toward the nearby George Washington Bridge, the lieutenant said.
"They were in and out pretty quick," Monteleone said.
No injuries were reported in either holdup.
Detectives from both towns are working together with the Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification, which collected evidence at both scenes.
ANYONE who might have seen something or has information that could help identify any of the robbers or their vehicle is asked to call Ridgefield Park police at (201) 641-6400 or Palisades Park police at (201) 944-0900.
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