Traumatic bagsnatch

A Mt Roskill woman is devastated after a handbag with thousands of dollars worth of jewellery inside was snatched from her hands.

Sonia Kaushal had the gold jewellery and her family’s four passports in her bag when it was snatched at the Three Kings Plaza on Monday.

"It’s very disturbing," says her husband Sunny Kaushal.

"My wife is very sad and traumatised, she’s afraid to go out of the house."

The incident was one of a series of bag snatches targeting women on their own in the past two weeks.

Mr Kaushal says the bag’s contents were worth around $4000, on top of the $1200 it will cost the family to replace their passports.

Because of recent burglaries in their area, his wife thought it would be safer to carry the items with her than leave them at home, he says.

Mrs Kaushal parked at the plaza to pick up their son from Three Kings Primary School at 2.45pm on Monday.

While sitting in the car, a Maori or Polynesian man in his late teens or early 20s knocked on the passenger window.

Mrs Kaushal ignored him and locked the door, but as she went to get out of the car, he came around to her door and pretended to ask her for directions.

As she was gathering her belongings to leave the car, he grabbed her handbag and ran to a waiting vehicle, which sped off.

Mr Kaushal says several people came to his wife’s aid and she was able to call him and the police from a nearby shop.

"She didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t able to talk much because of the trauma."

They reported the robbery to police and provided pictures of the missing gold necklace, earrings, ring and bracelet.

"The jewellery has a lot of sentimental value," says Mr Kaushal.

The family is offering a cash reward for the jewellery’s return.

The Kaushals moved to New Zealand from India five years ago and this is the first time they have had anything stolen.

"We are very hardworking, skilled migrants who have been contributing to the country from day one. When everything is going like this, it’s very shocking."

Senior sergeant Hirone Waretini says bagsnatching is becoming more common and offenders usually target women on their own.

A 76-year-old woman had her bag stolen from her shopping trolley at the Royal Oak Pak’nSave carpark last Wednesday afternoon.

It contained $130, her keys and cards.

The following day, another woman’s bag was snatched from the Grey Lynn Foodtown carpark.

Offenders have also been known to steal bags sitting on passenger seats in cars while the drivers are stopped in traffic.

"People need to keep handbags close to them at all times and make sure they are secured over their shoulder or not easily accessible."

They should not leave them in trolleys or visible in cars, says Mr Waretini.

- © Fairfax NZ News