A spree of burglaries and odd robbery is forcing an Indian restaurant owner to sell the business and move to Australia.
Curry Leaf, a renowned Indian restaurant in the northwest region of Auckland has been targeted with a spree of burglaries in the last few months.
For the last five months, the restaurant has been attacked four times, usually just after the restaurant closes its business for the day and the burglars have taken alcohol bottles and cash from the store.
The owner of the restaurant Max Bisht says he feels burglars have targeted the place and this has become rampant in the last few months.
"I have owned this place for 13 years without any trouble, but now its very frustrating," Mr Bisht told The Indian Weekender.
"It's becoming too tough to pay for the damages again and again," he added.
The latest blow came on Tuesday, July 10 when two men came to the store around mid-night, smashed the glasses and took bottles of alcohol and cash from the premises.
Bisht's other restaurant in Massey has too been attacked in the last few months that has made him suspicious that the same offenders have done the two burglaries.
The first burglary happened on March 6 when the burglars swept the til clean of $1000, and alcohol, which was followed by another incident on May 2 and the third only four days later on May 6.
"The third time, the burglars came in through the back door, breaking it, then broke more glasses in the store and then the front glass door again," Bisht added.
The burglars break the glass windows, front glass door and take alcohol bottles from the restaurant. This has cost him thousands in repairs of the damages and subsequent expenses.
"Since these break-ins, my business has also gone down tremendously." Mr Bisht added.
The police station is located in a visible distance from the restaurant, but they have not been able to catch the offenders yet.
"The offenders came outside my restaurant last night in their Mazda car to screen the place," Mr Bisth said.
"I know its repeated offenders and the same people as I have seen one person wearing the same cap in all our CCTV footages of the break-ins," he added.
Bisht also said that after 4 p.m. there is no police around in the area which makes the place more vulnerable to such offences and unsafe for the community.
A police spokesperson told media that they had attended three of the four break-ins at Curry Leaf.
She added that they had provided prevention advice to Bisht to help make the premise more secure.
"No arrests have been made in relation to these burglaries; however police are following strong lines of inquiry and would like to hear from anyone who may have information," Police told media.
More to come.