New York, August 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Four masked men in black stole jewellery worth around $1 million from an Indian-owned jewellery store in New Jersey in a smash-and-grab robbery that lasted less than a minute, police said.
The suspects entered 9Lakha Jewellers in Woodbridge on Saturday evening and used sledgehammers to smash display cases before taking the jewellery and fleeing the store.
Store co-owner Sonu Chauhan told News 12 NJ that the robbers carried large plastic bags and quickly emptied jewellery trays into them.
“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,” Chauhan said.
Surveillance footage showed the suspects arriving in a silver-coloured car before rushing into the store. They returned to the vehicle moments later and sped away.
The jewellery store is situated on a street with several Indian jewellery businesses in a New Jersey neighbourhood with a large Indian-origin population. The owners said other stores on the same street have also been targeted.
Virani Jewellers, located on the same street, was robbed using a similar method in June last year and had also been targeted in 2022.
Sushmita Chauhan, co-owner of 9Lakha Jewellers, called for stronger security measures to protect jewellery stores in the area.
“It would be very beneficial to see if the government or the town can give a little bit of insurance to the street,” she said, urging authorities to introduce preventive measures instead of acting only after a robbery takes place.
Indian-owned jewellery stores have been targeted in a number of smash-and-grab robberies in New Jersey and other parts of the US.
Ruby’s Jeweller in Perth Amboy was reportedly robbed in May last year, while Reema Jewellers in Jersey City was targeted earlier this year. Popular London Jewel, also in Jersey City, was reportedly robbed last November.
Police are investigating the latest incident and working to identify the suspects and recover the stolen jewellery.
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