By Radhika Mishra
BOSTON–In the quaint towns of eastern Massachusetts, a new surge of home robberies is specifically targeting and threatening Indian and South Asian households, inciting fear and anxiety within the community.
When Samir and Nilima Desai returned from their travels to their hometown of Lincoln, MA earlier last week, they were shocked to find the second floor of their home completely ransacked.
“They left the upstairs completely trashed, and stole jewelry, many purses, watches, and other items,” said the Desai family in a Facebook post, warning friends, family, and the neighborhood to be on high alert. “Our family is adjusting to this gross violation of our home and mourning the loss of our family heirlooms.”
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The Desai family immediately alerted authorities of their tragic home invasion, reaching out to the Lincoln Police Department (LPD).
Unfortunately, this was not the first case of a South Asian home being stripped of its jewelry and worldly possessions, said Lieutenant Sean Kennedy of LPD. Since December of last year, LPD responded to several other similar reports.
The tragedy extended far beyond Lincoln, affecting suburban towns such as North Attleboro, Natick, Lexington, Hopkinton, Wellesley, Easton, and Weston. Some of the wealthiest and seemingly safe towns have fallen victim to the violation of security and privacy.
In early March, Weston experienced its first robbery of the kind, affecting an Asian American woman who left her house to attend her daughters squash tournament. In a mere four-hour window, the burglars rifled through the house and managed to take a safe that was bolted into the ground.
Dr. Priti Saini, another victim in Weston, described her devastating experience, saying her entire second floor was defaced, with clothes everywhere and every drawer open and pillaged.
“That safe is not safe. It’s a target,” said Dr. Saini, whose safe was stolen from her attic.
The pilferers left all artificial jewelry and even real pearls, showcasing their keen eye for identifying real gold along with their interest in explicitly precious metals.
The crime ring has raised concern locally and nationally, gaining attention from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. This is a problem in numerous states with decent South Asian populations such as Texas and the Carolinas.
In 2019, a South Asian family living in Washington D.C. experienced the very same thing. Over the course of the next two years nearly four dozen houses belonging to wealthy Asian American citizens in D.C. were ransacked, ravaged, and depleted of their treasures, according to news reports.
While it is not clear if the criminal ring in Massachusetts is directly linked to other states, it is evident that this is a rising trend and these criminals are not just petty thieves.
This highly organized crime ring is observant, patient, and calculated. According to the Lincoln Police Department, thieves survey the house in depth before they make the hit, gathering information through various sectors such as social media, houseworkers, or by impersonating Amazon workers or missionaries to scout out the house.
“Be cautious of what you post on social media,” said Lieutenant Kennedy. “Inform your neighbors if you’ll be away.”
The group mostly targets secluded houses near dead ends or in a cul-de-sac, so it is important to note new faces or cars that might hang around in the area.
Officials are encouraging people to update their current alarm systems and ensure the second floor is protected as well. Thieves avoid triggering house alarms by gaining entry through second floor windows, where most alarm systems are not active. By removing windows, the robbers break in and ravage the house in search of valuable items.
But what makes specifically South Asians a target?
It is well known that South Asian culture decorates itself through lavish and extravagant jewelry. Authorities believe the burglars are aware of the fact that many South Asian Americans showcase their culture and history through jewelry and priceless family heirlooms.
Experts believe the groups are formed in different South American countries, who travel to America on tourist visas with the sole intent of committing these robberies. Due to the relatively low bail for nonviolent burglaries, arrested burglars can pay bail and flee town before any serious action can be taken, according to news reports.
The loopholes taken by criminals only leave the Indian American and South Asian community vulnerable and scared.
In this battle for security and safety, INDIA New England News spoke with Rahul Khanna, a Weston resident who is an active voice in the investigation in Weston robberies.
Khanna, who mediates the meetings with the police and concerned residents, believes the South Asian community needs to come together in order to combat this crisis. He recounts the first zoom meeting in Weston having over 70 participants, however, the next meeting had only 35.
“Other residents lost interest. I would love to see the list grow to 500 residents, meeting with other police of nearby towns, and that way the awareness will spread and these robbers will realize that now everyone is more offensive,” said Khanna. “If the community comes together as a whole and we have bigger meetings with the police, that is how we combat this.”
Khanna believes the South Asian community needs to stand hand-in-hand in order to add more pressure and motivate police to allocate resources such as increasing the number of patrol officers or installing surveillance cameras at more major intersections. Bridging the gap between the police and the public is the best way to combat this crisis, says Khanna.
As the investigation continues, law enforcement encourages residents to stay vigilant and look out for each other. Community involvement, awareness, and added security measures will deter these criminals and hopefully restore peace.
“We really hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else. So our suggestion is to ensure your jewelry is well stored, you are careful about who you share your vacation plans with, and we all communicate with one another to help protect us,” the Desai Family said in their Facebook post. “If you have any information about these crimes, please reach out to your local police officials, and your local press. We want to ensure that these crimes are highly publicized, to deter and prevent them from happening again. We need to come together as a community to do everything we can to prevent these crimes from happening in the future.”
Rakesh Kamdar, a community leader and entrepreneur suggests a few steps to prevent theft and robberies. They are:
- Insure all your valuables in your home insurance policy.
- If you’re going away, ensure all your valuables are kept in a safe deposit locker at the bank, it’s important you take time to complete this.
- Do not put on social media about your trips in advance or during your trip, if possible. It’s better to post your trip after coming back.
- It’s important that your entire house has security system and adequate cameras and sensors
- Check alerts as you receive them on your security app while you’re traveling.
