$1 Million Looted From Indian Jeweler In A One Minute Heist

WOODBRIDGE, NJ -A group of masked robbers carried out a swift, highly coordinated heist at a jewelry store here, making off with jewels worth about $1 million in under a minute, according to police.

Four men dressed in black entered 9Lakha Jewelers in Woodbridge on August 8, smashed display cases with sledgehammers, and grabbed jewelry before fleeing the scene.

Sonu Chauhan, co-owner of 9Lakha Jewelers, described the robbery to News 12 NJ, saying, “They had big plastic bags with them. Along with the trays, they would start dumping into those bags. Within 30 or 45 seconds, they were done. The car was there, and they got into it.”

Surveillance footage showed the suspects arriving in a silver-colored car, rushing into the store, and leaving within seconds after collecting the valuables.

The store is located in an area with a significant Indian American population and multiple Indian jewelry businesses. According to co-owner Sushmita Chauhan of 9Lakha Jewelers, similar incidents have targeted nearby stores, highlighting growing security concerns among business owners.

Virani Jewelers on the same street was robbed using a similar method in June last year and also in 2022. Other recent incidents include robberies at Ruby’s Jeweler in Perth Amboy in May last year, and at Reema Jewelers and Popular London Jewel, both in Jersey City, over the past year.

Sushmita Chauhan said, “It would be very beneficial to see if the government or the town can give a little bit of insurance to the street. They should put some preventative measures rather than just going and acting after something really bad happened.”

Indian jewelry stores in New Jersey and other parts of the US have increasingly been targeted in smash-and-grab robberies, often executed within seconds by organized groups. (IANS)