A jewellery store heist, shoppers in panic, and quick-thinking staff – scenes at Sona Sansaar’s Papatoetoe outlet were straight out of a movie this Sunday.
On February 11, the usual weekend hustle and bustle at the jewellery store in South Auckland was broken when robbers barged in at about 4pm.
They began smashing glass cabinets and looting jewellery as guests looked on in horror, says a member of the store management who didn’t wish to be named.
“Unlike what most media outlets reported, we actually had quite a few shoppers inside the store when it happened.”
But the commotion didn’t scare the staff members –two women and a man. The three swung into action even as the robbers went about plundering the store.
“We have a big vault at the store where we keep all the jewellery. Usually shoppers are not allowed to go in. But this was an emergency. The staff rushed the guests inside the vault and locked it, to make sure no one was hurt in the panic that ensued,” says the management member.
The courageous staff members took some time off from work after the scare, and were unreachable for comment when The Indian Weekender tried to contact them on February 13.
Two days after the incident, the police were still looking for the robbers, who dropped several jewellery items they stole while fleeing the store.
“It seems some items fell from their hands and bags. The police have recovered those but they are not of much use to us since they are damaged,” says the staff member.
The store management says it will take time to assess the damage and put a value to the loss.
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