By Alexander Dworkowitz
Eight businesses on Main Street were broken into and reported thousands of dollars worth of expensive rugs, gold jewelry, MetroCards as well as cash stolen when a series of holes was dug in the walls connecting the stores, authorities said.
Six of the Flushing businesses were burglarized, with two having close to $40,000 worth of goods taken, according to representatives of the enterprises on the block between Franklin Avenue and Blossom Avenue.
The thefts were discovered when Ahmed Patel, owner of the stationery store Gina Rose at 42-39 Main St. entered his business at 5:30 a.m. Saturday to find phone cards, MetroCards and cigarettes gone, a hole in his wall and the wires to his alarm cut, he said.
Patel phoned police, who found that seven businesses in the same brick building also were hit. The businesses had all closed by 11 p.m. the night before.
Police had made no arrests as of late Tuesday and were investigating.
The businesses, most of which cater to immigrants from South Asia, include a dry cleaner, a dollar store, a dress shop, two restaurants, two markets and the stationery store.
Saiful Islam, manager of the Kabul Kabab House at 42-57 Main St., said the thief or thieves had broken down a wall to enter the basement from the outside, knocked down an iron door in the basement, come upstairs to his restaurant and made a hole into the wall to reach the other businesses.
“One after another, they just drilled,” he said.
Islam said more than $3,000 in cash was stolen and he had to spend $1,200 to fix his wall and replace the door.
“This is another headache,” he said.
Next door Ariana Market lost about 300 compact discs of Iranian and Afghan music, six or seven rugs and nearly $4,500 in cash, said its manager, Zalemai Carvan.
The rugs, imported from Iran and Afghanistan, sell for $1,200 each, Carvan said.
“What can I say?” he asked. “What can I do? It's a lot of money.”
Although nothing was stolen from her restaurant, Jayshree Patel, manager of Shamiana, had to repair the two holes in her walls.
“I'm scared,” she said. “Anytime they want to come, they can come.”
Balram Gyani, the owner of Modern Saree House, a dress shop and jewelry store, said cash, watches and gold jewelry valued together at $40,000 were taken.
Gyani was frustrated with his alarm company, ADT Security Services Inc., which he said did not notify him of the break-in.
“My staff is shaken up. I am totally shaken up,” he said. “I can't sleep in the night. I am calling every three hours in the night to ADT to see that everything is OK.”
Gyani said thieves also had broken into his store two years ago, when they took goods stored on the second floor.
Ahmed Patel, who said the MetroCards, phone cards and cigarettes stolen from his store were valued at about $40,000, also felt at a loss.
“What can I do? If I kill myself, I will not get back my money,” he said. “God will help, and God will punish those who did it.”
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300 Ext. 141.
