$1 million jewellery heist at New Jersey Indian store in under 60 seconds
Synopsis
In under 60 seconds, four masked men armed with sledgehammers walked out of a New Jersey Indian jewellery store with $1 million in gems — and drove away clean. It wasn't a one-off: at least five Indian-owned stores on the same street and nearby have been hit in 18 months, and the owners are now asking why prevention, not just response, isn't on the table.
Key Takeaways
Four masked men robbed 9Lakha Jewellers in Woodbridge, New Jersey of jewels worth approximately $1 million in under 60 seconds .
The robbers used sledgehammers to smash showcases and fled in a silver-coloured car ; the incident was captured on surveillance video.
Virani Jewellers on the same street was robbed with the same tactic in June last year and in 2022 .
At least five Indian-owned jewellery stores in New Jersey — including in Perth Amboy and Jersey City — have been targeted in roughly 18 months .
Co-owner Sushmita Chauhan called on local government to introduce preventive security measures for the street.
No arrests had been reported at the time of publication.
Four masked robbers stripped 9Lakha Jewellers in Woodbridge, New Jersey of jewels worth approximately $1 million in a brazen smash-and-grab that lasted less than a minute on Saturday evening, according to local police. The highly coordinated heist is the latest in a pattern of targeted attacks on Indian-owned jewellery stores across New Jersey.
How the Heist Unfolded
Surveillance footage captured the four men — dressed entirely in black and wearing masks — arriving at the store in a silver-coloured car. They rushed inside, shattered display cases with sledgehammers, scooped jewellery and trays into large plastic bags, and fled back to the waiting vehicle within seconds.
Store co-owner Sonu Chauhan described the operation to News 12 NJ: '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.'
A Street Under Siege
9Lakha Jewellers sits on a stretch of road in Woodbridge that houses multiple Indian jewellery stores, serving a large South Asian diaspora community in the area. Co-owners confirmed that other stores on the same street had been robbed within the past year.
Virani Jewellers, located on the same street, was hit using an identical smash-and-grab method in June last year and again in 2022. According to reports, Ruby's Jeweller in Perth Amboy was targeted in May last year, while Reema Jewellers in Jersey City was robbed earlier this year, and Popular London Jewel, also in Jersey City, was hit last November.
Co-owners Call for Preventive Action
Co-owner Sushmita Chauhan appealed for institutional support, telling the TV outlet: 'It would be very beneficial to see if the government or the town can give a little bit of insurance to the street.' She added that authorities should 'put some preventative measures rather than just going and acting after something really bad happened.'
The repeated targeting of Indian jewellers in New Jersey reflects a broader vulnerability — high-value, visible inventory in community retail corridors with limited dedicated security infrastructure. This is the fifth known smash-and-grab incident targeting Indian jewellery stores in the state in roughly 18 months.
Investigation Ongoing
Police are reviewing surveillance footage from the store and surrounding areas. No arrests had been reported at the time of publication. The Woodbridge incident underscores growing calls from the Indian-American business community for enhanced law enforcement presence and municipal security grants in diaspora commercial districts.
Point of View
Not a run of bad luck. Smash-and-grab operations of this precision — sub-60-second execution, pre-positioned getaway car, coordinated bag-and-tray technique — suggest organised crews that have profiled these stores and face little deterrence. The diaspora business community's call for municipal insurance and preventive infrastructure is reasonable; what is missing is any visible law enforcement response to the pattern itself, as opposed to individual incidents.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which jewellery store was robbed in Woodbridge, New Jersey?
9Lakha Jewellers in Woodbridge, New Jersey was robbed by four masked men on a Saturday evening. The robbers made off with jewels worth approximately $1 million in under 60 seconds.
How did the robbers carry out the heist?
The four men, dressed in black and wearing masks, arrived in a silver-coloured car, smashed display cases with sledgehammers, and scooped jewellery into large plastic bags before fleeing. Surveillance footage captured the entire sequence.
Is this part of a larger pattern of robberies?
Yes. At least five Indian-owned jewellery stores in New Jersey have been targeted in roughly 18 months. Virani Jewellers on the same street was robbed in June last year and in 2022, while Ruby's Jeweller, Reema Jewellers, and Popular London Jewel were also hit in the same period.
What are the store owners asking for?
Co-owner Sushmita Chauhan has called on local government and the town to provide insurance support and introduce preventive security measures on the street, rather than responding only after incidents occur.
Have any arrests been made?
No arrests had been reported at the time of publication. Police are reviewing surveillance footage from the store and surrounding areas as the investigation continues.
