CRISIS: Business owner regrets moving to NZ after suffering third ram-raid

Police are investigating multiple robberies which have hit retail businesses in Auckland and Hamilton over the past 24 hours.

Kanna Sharma, the owner of Kauriland’s G.A.S station in Titirangi, Auckland is devastated after his business was ram-raided at 2:20am on Thursday.

He said it’s the third such attack on his business and he now regrets moving to Aotearoa with his family.

“It’s a nightmare,” Sharma told Newshub.

“This is the third time I’ve been ram-raided and I’m shattered. My family is shattered.

“It’s hard to believe a place like New Zealand can be such a nightmare.

“I left my home country India 23 years back thinking this is one of the safest countries in the world. I was sadly mistaken. It is not.

“I regret coming here.”

In a statement on Thursday, police said they are investigating the robbery.

“Around 2:11am, Police responded to reports of the burglary on Kaurilands Road, where it is understood a vehicle was used to gain entry,” police said.

The people involved in the robbery then left the scene in another vehicle, police said, adding enquiries into the robbery are ongoing.

In Hamilton, police are investigating an aggravated dairy robbery which happened at Fairfield Bridge Dairy and Cafe on River Road on Wednesday evening.

“Four armed offenders entered the dairy shortly after 5pm, assaulted the dairy owner and held him at gunpoint,” police said in a statement on Thursday.

The offenders are said to have taken a till and cigarettes before leaving in a stolen white Subaru Impreza.

“This was a very traumatic and frightening incident for the dairy owner,” Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said.

He said the dairy owner suffered moderate injuries from the assault but it could have ended very differently for them.

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An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged in relation to the aggravated robbery and he was set to appear in the Waikato District Court on Thursday morning.

“He is also facing further charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle in relation to an aggravated robbery that occurred at Blackbull Liquor Cambridge on December 11,” police said in a statement.

Police have urged anyone to come forward with any information they have to identify the other three offenders who were involved in the Hamilton robbery, or with any tips on the Auckland ram-raid.

Meanwhile a dairy in Stanmore Bay, Auckland was burnt down to the ground overnight, however police are not treating it as suspicious.