An Auckland retailer says crime in New Zealand is worse than in South Africa after his store was burgled three times in less than seven months.
On Monday Tj Handcrafted on Chapel St in East Tāmaki was ransacked by armed thieves. The brazen burglary took place in the middle of the afternoon. CCTV footage captured from inside the store shows the offenders smashing into the counters and grabbing the jewellery. Police said the offenders got away and an investigation has been launched.
Speaking with AM on Wednesday owner Thabet Haddadin said his store is still closed while he tries to pick up the pieces.
Haddadin said it's the third time this has happened this year and he no longer feels safe going to work.
"This is not the first time, in the past I've had guns in my head… it's becoming so easy and people are doing it every day or every second day," he told AM's Melissa Chan-Green.
"We don't know what to say. It is becoming something happening every moment. I can tell you the truth, I traded gold and diamonds in Johannesburg for five years and I've never, ever experienced something like that. We're talking about Johannesburg, where they have a very high crime rate."
He said he's lived in four different countries but has never felt as unsafe as he does in New Zealand.
"I've never, ever felt so unsafe like the last two or three years in New Zealand. I don't know what is happening, I just don't feel safe anymore."
Haddadin said not only do the burglaries cost money but they are also traumatising for the workers caught in the middle.
During Monday's burglary, a staff member was forced to hide behind the counter during the burglary. Haddadin said she is devastated.
"When I saw her, she immediately broke down crying. She's a young lady too... to be threatened to be hammered in her head, it's not a joke."
Haddadin said he's out hundreds of thousands of dollars and is losing more every day his store is closed for repairs.
"What they've taken out of this store and the damage they've done… They smashed and destroyed everything and all the assets inside."
He said he estimates he's lost between $300,000 to $400,000.
Haddadin said all he can do is try to enhance shop security but he's worried it won't be enough. And he's not alone, a spate of ram raids and smash-and-grab burglaries are causing concern among Auckland retailers.
Last month a jewellery store owner told Newshub she was closing her store after it was ram-raided twice in two months.
Bharti Patel owned and operated Jewellers on Queen in Onehunga for more than 20 years but was forced to close because she no longer felt safe.
It was a view echoed by Dairy and Business Association chair Sunny Kaushal who said business owners are frightened and angry.
"There is a lot of anger and frustrations among these businesses and communities now…It's very serious.
"It's very hard to run a business in New Zealand at the moment because the state is failing to provide them security and safety.
"I can tell you 30 percent of the business owners who call me are asking how to get a gun licence. It's become that serious because if the police and authorities are not able to save them they have to save themselves."
Auckland has been gripped by a crime wave over the last few months with spates of ram-raids and smash-and-grab burglaries.
Police data shows burglaries shot up to 21,457 for the period from June 2021 to May 2022. This was compared to 17,166 for the previous period. Additionally, thefts jumped to 59,078 compared with 49,680 for the previous period.
