“I can’t run away,” says Ashfaq Farooqi, his voice giving away a sense of desparate defiance. The 67-year-old is still recovering from a heartattack likely triggered by a robbery at his superette in Hamilton a few weeks back. It wasn’t the first time he was attacked.
Farooqi says his store, Flagstaff Supervalue, has been robbed 12 times in 12 months. On February 27, 2023, four armed thieves entered his store and tried to scoot off after demanding a few packs of cigarettes and other items. He plonked a shopping trolley full of beach toys in front of the getaway car, but the goons managed to escape.
Farooqi collapsed on the ground and was later taken to Waikato Hospital, where doctors suspected stress from the robbery had triggered a heartattack and he had to undergo angioplasty.
“It is the worst law and order situation in NZ, especially during post Covid-19 pandemic. I have been in NZ for years but have never seen the crime being so high. These criminals have no fear of the law, and until that is sorted, nothing will be achieved, and the situation will only worsen,” he told The Indian Weekender, as he paused frequently to catch his breath because of his worsening health.
Farooqi moved from Pakistan to New Zealand in 1987, and has operated this business for nearly 25 years. He says retail crime will continue to increase until stricter laws are put in place to deal with offenders, especially youngsters.
“Even if the police do something, the law doesn't support them. I feel youngsters are purposely made to commit crimes because the law cannot do anything to them. Nothing can be done until the law is stricter, and we will continue to suffer. We also need more policing," he says.
But Farooqi, who is on blood thinners, says he will not quit or close his business. “This incident was life-threatening, but I can’t sell my shop. I can’t run away. Risk is everywhere, even while walking on the road, but I can't stop going out on the road. I can't stop feeding my family. I have given everything to this country. I can't go back to Pakistan,” he says.
Small businesses, many of them owned by Kiwi Indians, have been hit hard because of a rise in retail crime, including robberies and ram raids. Ginny Andersen, who took charge as the Police Minister on March 20, 2023, had told The Indian Weekender tackling retail crime was her top priority.
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