A Katikati technology store owner lost $74,000 of stock from an overnight burglary last weekend – and he did not have insurance.

The burglary comes two months after his Katikati home was entered by intruders while he and his family slept overnight, prompting him to question whether he still wants to live in New Zealand.

iFixed Ltd owner Chamara Punchihewage said his security cameras captured video footage with audio of three people breaking into the store on the second floor of Cherry Court on Main Rd, Katikati, at 1.58am on Saturday, November 8.

“They took everything within 10 minutes – the whole burglary took 15 minutes,” said Chamara – who is known in the community as Chama.

iFixed Ltd – located on the top floor of Cherry Court – was broken into and burgled in the early hours of November 8. Photo / Supplied

The Sri Lankan has lived in New Zealand for 16 years, including more than eight years in Katikati. iFixed Ltd has been operating in Katikati for more than three years, Chama said.

“We have a lot of senior citizens here that we help with technology issues. We attend callouts to their homes and we also repair any type of device – mainly mobile phones and laptops. There’s a lot of scams happening and banks send people to us so we can clean their devices and give them instructions on how to be safe online.”

While the shop had not broken into before, Chama said his Katikati house was entered two months ago.

“I have a 2-year-old daughter as well – so to be honest, we’re really afraid to stay in New Zealand. We’re thinking what we’re going to do next – because when people are breaking in while you’re sleeping it is very scary to live like that.”

iFixed Ltd owner Chamara Punchihewage said he’s lost after losing $74,000 worth of uninsured stock to a burglary last weekend. Photo / Merle Cave

Chama said the three offenders who broke into his store stole most of the stock he had for sale on shelves.

Chama said none of his customers’ equipment was stolen because it was locked away in a safe, which was not accessed. “None of our customers were affected.”

Chama said the offenders had come through the back entry to Cherry Court, which unfortunately was unlocked. “They had a car parked near the tyre shop. They walked through the back door and up the stairs to our shop entry and smashed the bottom pane of glass on the door.”

Another ranchslider was also smashed in the burglary. “They came inside and took everything – all our mobile devices, laptops and accessories that we had for sale on our stands.”

The damage to the building was covered by the building’s insurance. But Chama said $74,000 worth of stock was stolen – and he didn’t have insurance for it.

“Last Monday, [November 3] we opened a new iFixed branch in Waihi. So what happened was we changed insurance provider and cancelled the old [policy last week] – and we were about to sign the new policy this week. So this period [when the burglary occurred] we cannot make a [insurance] claim,” said Chama. “So basically, I’m lost.”

Chama said he has four people working in iFixed Katikati who also have families “so I can’t just close it like that”.

“So I’m thinking how to recover – maybe we will start only offering services and not selling anything as we don’t have anything to sell now.”

Chama, who re-opened iFixed Ltd on Monday, said he and his staff had checked their security camera records for the past few months, and people movements in the store.

The shelf pictured was loaded with laptops for sale inside iFixed Ltd in Katikati, which were stolen in a burglary. Photo / Merle Cave

Chama believed the burglary was committed by two males and a female.

“We have an audio voice recording too – so we can hear a man saying: ‘You alright babes’ so we know one of the offenders was a female and somehow they are connected,” he said.

Chama also believed the offenders were either locals, or had a local connection.

“We have some little clues and we have passed all this onto the police,” he said.

Chama said the many people in the community had called and emailed him and commented on a Facebook post he shared of the burglary.

“People are caring and thinking we are doing something good for the community. We also know [from security footage] that Dreamers [beauty clinic on Jocelyn St] was broken into the same night.”

He said if anyone knew anything about the burglary to contact Katikati Police as soon as they can.

“We are still hoping the police might be able to recover the equipment, because that’s our only hope.”

Dreamers director Suzanne Bullivant said offenders broke into her beauty clinic in the early hours on Saturday morning by smashing a ranchslider.

“[They] took the till but no money was in the till. We don’t have money on the premises anymore.”

They also made a “hell of a mess” to clean up, Bullivant said.

This was the fifth break-in in a little over two years – and the third since August this year.

“[We believe] This guy was different than the last two break-ins [this year].”

Western Bay of Plenty district councillor for Katikati-Waihi Beach Rodney Joyce said the council had more than 90 monitored CCTV cameras in operation around the Katikati district, which police had access to.

Joyce said the council had just advertised funding grants were available for those who’d like to apply for funds to get CCTV in their area.

“So we’re active in that area but there is wider conversation to be had as to how far we go with that.”

Joyce said both stores had security cameras and footage of offenders so he questioned how impactful the use of more CCTV would be. He referred Katikati News to police to comment further on the burglaries.

A NZ Police spokesperson said on November 8 police received a report of a burglary at a commercial premises on Main Rd, Katikati. “A number of items are believed to have been taken during the incident.”

Senior Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh said Katikati Police had executed search warrants at three Katikati addresses on Tuesday in relation to this burglary.

“Some of the property stolen from the iFixed burglary was recovered from two of the addresses. A 36-year-old Katikati woman has been charged with burglary. Enquiries are continuing to locate the other two offenders.”

The woman was in custody and was due to appear in Tauranga District Court on Wednesday, police said.