Everything was smooth sailing for Sediqi when he left his business at 5pm. But come nightfall, things took a dramatic twist. At 10pm, a vigilant neighbour reported seeing a suspicious vehicle parked outside the store. Then, at 11pm, the tyre apocalypse struck – four trucks swooped in, dumping tyres in a series of covert trips.
The sneaky culprits outsmarted the CCTV cameras by reversing their trucks with the number plates facing the wall.
Desperate for help, Sediqi turned to Auckland Council, only to be bounced back and forth like a ping pong ball. The council said it was a police matter, while the police directed him back to the council.
“There’s no point arguing between the two parties,” Sediqi said. Left with no choice, he had to call in a removal company, at a cost of $6,559 to clear away the mess.
Despite the chaos, Sediqi has kept his store open, pushing aside tyres to access at least two doors. ‘We haven’t done any work. Me and my staff haven’t even had a morning breakfast,’ he told the Herald.
The whole ordeal has left Sediqi frustrated and disappointed, particularly with Auckland Council and the police. “If you’re a property owner paying rates, you expect help in hard times,” he said, shaking his head.
The mystery remains unsolved as of now.
