Auckland man reeling after armed robbers ransack his flat

By Katie Todd of RNZ

An Auckland man says he is reeling after four armed robbers ransacked his flat last week, demanding money and valuables.

Binh Hoang says the group stormed the house, threatened his housemates with weapons and broke down his bedroom door during the “terrifying” home invasion.

The police are asking the public for any information about the incident, which happened on January 2 in Flat Bush.

Hoang and four other people live in the rental property which was targeted.

He described hearing screaming at about 9.45pm as four people barged into the house.

He said the group first made their way to the garage, where they held a gun to his housemate’s head and threatened her with a crossbow-like device.

Flat Bush resident Binh Hoang says he was on the phone to police when the robbers broke through his bedroom door. Photo / Thanh Binh Hoang

“She couldn’t say anything... she didn’t even know English so she didn’t know what they were saying,” he said.

Hoang said two of the assailants shepherded her and another housemate into a small bathroom, while the others searched the house for valuables.

Hoang and his father – who was visiting from Vietnam – tried to barricade themselves behind his bedroom door upstairs.

“We were basically just trying to hold the door ... and then I picked up the phone and gave 111 a call. I said ‘We’ve got a thief in our house’,” he said.

As he was talking to the police, Hoang said the assailants broke through his door and demanded money from him and his father.

He said one of them was holding what looked like a rifle.

Binh Hoang says the robbers left behind a 'mess' of broken locks and damage, including to his bedroom door. Photo / Thanh Binh Hoang

“I just froze at that point,” Hoang said.

Hoang said the group fled with a small amount of cash and paperwork from his room, as well as his and father’s passports.

He said they also took a gold necklace, a bank card and car keys from the other housemates, and left behind a “mess” of broken locks and doors.

The police arrived minutes after the group left, Hoang said, but the offenders have not been caught.

Hoang has started a Givealittle page to fundraise for a trip to the Vietnamese embassy in Wellington, to replace his and his father’s passports.

The group of housemates have decided to leave their flat later this month and all move elsewhere – largely out of fear of a repeat robbery.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, if [the robbers] are going to be caught ... so of course it does feel a bit scary,” Hoang said.

In a statement, the police said they were still working to establish the circumstances of the incident.

They asked anyone who heard any suspicious activity in the area at the time to get in touch.

Police data shows 54 people were the victims of aggravated robberies at dwellings in Auckland from September 2023 to September 2024.

– RNZ

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