Family member held rear door shut as masked men stormed Gisborne superette
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September 21 2026
A family member held a door shut as three masked men allegedly tried to reach the rear of a Gisborne superette during an early-morning robbery on Friday, the store's owner says.
Aberdeen Superette owner Harpreet Singh, who runs the business with his family, said the three men stormed into the Aberdeen Road store on September 18, stealing items and causing “big” damage.
Singh said two of the men were armed with a “hammer and a hunting knife”, with the knife approximately 30cm long.
He said he was relieved that no members of his family were injured during the incident.
“We were getting ready for the day but next minute they just come into shop and damage everything.”
“It was pretty unexpected in the morning”
Police are investigating the robbery.
"Three hooded and masked young males entered a store on Aberdeen Road, reportedly damaging property as they stole cigarettes, tobacco, and the cash registers. The value of the stolen goods was approximately $3,000 and the cost of the damage is yet to be determined," the police statement said.
According to police, the offenders arrived and fled in a silver Toyota Aqua that had been stolen the previous evening.
Police are appealing for information that could help identify the three alleged offenders.
The incident occurred at around 7.46am, according to Singh. A family member was at the shop when the robbery unfolded.
Singh said the family member, who was sitting at the back, saw the offenders on CCTV, activated the panic and smoke alarms and moved towards the adjoining property.
“He [family member] saw them through CCTV and rushed back and held the door tightly so as to not let those guys come in,” Singh told The Indian Weekender.
Singh said the manner in which the offenders entered the shop made him believe they “probably wanted to go into the property as well”.
“One of the guys, he hammered the door and the hammer went through,” Singh said of the door attached to the property had a "big hole" after the attempt.
The family member was not injured.
"The three males unsuccessfully tried to get to the rear of the store," the police said.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Singh said with cigarettes and cash tills stolen, several items inside the store were also damaged, including the slushie machine.
Singh, who has operated the business since 2023, said this was the second such incident at the store.
He said another attempted incident occurred in 2024 but was thwarted after a family member spotted someone running from a vehicle towards the shop.
The family member “started beeping the horn and yelling outside,” prompting the alleged offenders to flee after attention was drawn towards the shop.
Singh said the business has experienced shoplifting incidents, but Friday’s incident had caused “big damage” to both the store and those involved.
He said he would like to see further government action in response to such incidents.
“I think they need to start looking into legislation and start making little changes,” Singh shared.
He said businesses may increasingly have to consider their own safety measures, adding that in the future, they may need to be prepared for self-defence, “but I’d rather the government look into this.”
Despite the robbery, Aberdeen Superette remains open for business.
Singh said the store had received considerable support from its "wonderful neighbours and community”.
“I am pretty proud of the community, where I am working at the moment,” Singh shared.
“These people [community] make us stay in the business for longer,” he said.
Anyone with information that could help police identify or locate the three males is asked to contact Police via 105.
A family member held a door shut as three masked men allegedly tried to reach the rear of a Gisborne superette during an early-morning robbery on Friday, the store's owner says.
Aberdeen Superette owner Harpreet Singh, who runs the business with his family, said the three men stormed into the...
A family member held a door shut as three masked men allegedly tried to reach the rear of a Gisborne superette during an early-morning robbery on Friday, the store's owner says.
Aberdeen Superette owner Harpreet Singh, who runs the business with his family, said the three men stormed into the Aberdeen Road store on September 18, stealing items and causing “big” damage.
Singh said two of the men were armed with a “hammer and a hunting knife”, with the knife approximately 30cm long.
He said he was relieved that no members of his family were injured during the incident.
“We were getting ready for the day but next minute they just come into shop and damage everything.”
“It was pretty unexpected in the morning”
Police are investigating the robbery.
"Three hooded and masked young males entered a store on Aberdeen Road, reportedly damaging property as they stole cigarettes, tobacco, and the cash registers. The value of the stolen goods was approximately $3,000 and the cost of the damage is yet to be determined," the police statement said.
According to police, the offenders arrived and fled in a silver Toyota Aqua that had been stolen the previous evening.
Police are appealing for information that could help identify the three alleged offenders.
The incident occurred at around 7.46am, according to Singh. A family member was at the shop when the robbery unfolded.
Singh said the family member, who was sitting at the back, saw the offenders on CCTV, activated the panic and smoke alarms and moved towards the adjoining property.
“He [family member] saw them through CCTV and rushed back and held the door tightly so as to not let those guys come in,” Singh told The Indian Weekender.
Singh said the manner in which the offenders entered the shop made him believe they “probably wanted to go into the property as well”.
“One of the guys, he hammered the door and the hammer went through,” Singh said of the door attached to the property had a "big hole" after the attempt.
The family member was not injured.
"The three males unsuccessfully tried to get to the rear of the store," the police said.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Singh said with cigarettes and cash tills stolen, several items inside the store were also damaged, including the slushie machine.
Singh, who has operated the business since 2023, said this was the second such incident at the store.
He said another attempted incident occurred in 2024 but was thwarted after a family member spotted someone running from a vehicle towards the shop.
The family member “started beeping the horn and yelling outside,” prompting the alleged offenders to flee after attention was drawn towards the shop.
Singh said the business has experienced shoplifting incidents, but Friday’s incident had caused “big damage” to both the store and those involved.
He said he would like to see further government action in response to such incidents.
“I think they need to start looking into legislation and start making little changes,” Singh shared.
He said businesses may increasingly have to consider their own safety measures, adding that in the future, they may need to be prepared for self-defence, “but I’d rather the government look into this.”
Despite the robbery, Aberdeen Superette remains open for business.
Singh said the store had received considerable support from its "wonderful neighbours and community”.
“I am pretty proud of the community, where I am working at the moment,” Singh shared.
“These people [community] make us stay in the business for longer,” he said.
Anyone with information that could help police identify or locate the three males is asked to contact Police via 105.
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