Pukekohe Store Burgled Twice; Co-Owner Arshdeep Singh Details Impact

A family-owned supermarket in Pukekohe, south of Auckland, was burgled on two consecutive nights, with police arresting five individuals following the second break-in early Saturday morning, 1News reported.

According to co-owner of IndoKiwi Supermarket on Hall Street, Arshdeep Singh, the estimated total cost of losses and damage to the store to be between $25,000 and $30,000. He noted that the till alone was worth between $10,000 and $15,000.

IndoKiwi Supermarket was first targeted around 4am on Friday. According Singh, three people smashed through the main glass door and stole items such as chocolate, lollies, and toffees. Police were notified at around 7.50am on Saturday after staff discovered the aftermath of the first break-in.

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Less than 24 hours later, the store was hit again. Singh, anticipating another incident, had configured his security cameras to send real-time alerts. He told 1News that he watched live as five individuals broke into the store, smashed another part of the door, and stole the till while ransacking the premises. He said one person went directly for the till, while the others grabbed drinks, chocolates, and anything else they could find, making a mess that included broken eggs.

Singh called the police during the incident, and officers were able to locate and arrest the group. A police spokesperson confirmed that a 19-year-old man is due to appear in Pukekohe District Court on July 16 on a burglary charge, while four other young individuals will go through a youth process.

Police said they could not confirm whether the two burglaries were linked, as inquiries are ongoing in both cases.

These were the first break-ins in the 18 months since Singh’s family began operating from the Hall Street location. He described the experience as difficult, highlighting the hard work invested in the store. Singh said he begins his day at 4am, finishes work at 9pm, goes to sleep at 11pm, and starts again at 4am, describing the break-ins as "a kick in the backside" during an already challenging time for the retail business, 1News reported.