By Linny Folau, Matangi Tonga police and crime reporter.

Two men armed with machetes remain at large after a series of robberies at various Chinese retail shops in the Nuku’alofa area, over the weekend and yesterday, where shop owners were threatened and thousands of pa'anga in cash snatched from shop counters.

At least three Chinese shops have been hit by two masked and hooded men, with the latest yesterday morning, January 11. One shop lost at least $7000 in a daylight grab and run robbery.

Matangi Tonga reporters have viewed the security video of one of the shocking robberies, which shows the masked robbers bursting through the doorway, and threatening the shopkeepers, with a long black machete and a silver knife or a smaller machete. One bulky robber remained on lookout at the doorway, while the other leaned over the counter and snatched cash from a cardboard box underneath, and stuffed it into a plastic bag. The shopkeeper stood back behind the counter. A shop assistant who was by the doorway was repeatedly threatened by the lookout man with the machete.

The shop owners are still being interviewed by Tonga Police, who have not yet confirmed whether more than two men were involved or if the same men conducted all of the similar robberies. The shop owners were taken by surprise.

Police have not confirmed whether or not any warning was issued to retail shop owners after the first and second incidents.

Vaha'akolo Road

One shop owner, who referred to himself as "Ma'ake", with a shop on Vaha’akolo Road told Matangi Tonga this morning, that his shop got robbed on Saturday night, January 9.

He said it was about 11:30pm when he and a worker were closing the shop, and two men suddently appeared with their faces covered. They were armed with machetes and demanded cash.

They stole more than $1,000 pa’anga cash.

"I was scared because it was so sudden. I just told them to take whatever they want just as long as we don’t get hurt.”

He said this robbery was not more than five minutes before they fled in car that was parked nearby.

“It was pretty quick.”

A nearby witness has suggested that a third man, the driver of a black car with a loud muffler was also involved.

Tofoa

Meanwhile, yesterday Monday morning January 11 another shop at Tofoa was robbed with men, also masked, and armed with a machete.

They stole more cash, approximately $7,000 pa’anga and passports. 

The female shop keeper, who did not want to be identified, said it was around 6:30am yesterday when she was opening her shop for the bread delivery, when suddenly two masked men appeared. 

She said one had a machete, while the other went to the counter and took her bag containing the cash from weekend trading and passports. 

“The other robber was stopping me from moving to the counter, after he took my bag the robber jumped from the counter and they both fled,” [translated from Tongan].

The shopkeeper said she was still scared as the men were still at large.

Ma‘ufanga

At the same time, another Chinese shop at Ma’ufanga robbed and staff said it was sometime last week. The owners have reported the robbery to the Police.

Police are still looking for these men, and Matangi Tonga understands that these robbers are not escaped prisoners, as currently rumoured on social media. The suspects are local men.

Further details are expected to be released by Tonga Police later today.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Nuku'alofa confirmed that it had informed Chinese shop owners to take necessary protective measures.

“After receiving the notification from the police of the Kingdom of Tonga yesterday afternoon, the Chinese Embassy timely informed the Chinese Shop owners of the relevant situation through its own channel and asked them to take necessary protective measures.,” said Zhang Xuanbo, Second Secretary at the Chinese Embassy, this afternoon.