I don’t feel safe, says victim of ram raid
The latest shop owner victim of an Auckland ram raid says he no longer feels safe, with his store wrecked and $3000 of clothing stolen overnight.
Vinod Ranchhod’s store, Big Broz, in Panmure was targeted by thieves at 1.30am yesterday.
He said they used a stolen blue car to smash their way in, causing extensive structural damage to the shop, the counter and the cash till.
“Three-quarters of the car came into the shop and the whole frontage was gone,’ said Ranchhod.
Around $3000 of streetwear clothing, including polo shirts, American football and baseball hoodies, singlets and trousers were stolen in the raid.
Ranchhod owns and runs the store with his wife Bhawna.
He hoped insurance would cover the costs of repairs for the building but this would also mean their premium would be increased.
While cleaning up the store yesterday, Ranchhod said he did not feel safe after seeing the increase in ram raids in Auckland.
“You don’t feel secure . . . it happens two or three times every day.
“How long can we put up with this? Financially we can’t because we’ve been through all the lockdowns. When you’re an owner-operator you lose out completely.”
Ranchhod suggested offenders be made to pay for the damages.
He and his wife have owned the store since 1998 and it has been 15 years since it has been raided, he said.
A witness said he had been sitting in his car nearby when he saw the incident unfold.
“The two guys were hanging around on the corner, masked up, I kept my eyes on them as they walked across the road.
“I thought they . . . worked at the noodle house, as they were hanging around there. I thought they were going to open up and start cooking.
“Then the car just came from nowhere, mounted the kerb and in it went. They didn’t reverse into the store — they drove front first,” he said.
Several ram raids around the Auckland region recently have targeted high-end retail stores in the central city or at shopping malls. The store targeted overnight was not.