Naseer’s shop robbed three times in one year – now he wants to leave Kristianstad

1st October was an ordinary evening. Europa Livs corner shop is on Fästningsgatan, behind what used to be the prison. Naseer Al-Luaibi and his wife Areej Abdulqader were sitting talking in a room behind the shop.

At 8:50 pm the peace was shatteered. In a surveillance camera they saw a masked man storm into the shop. Naseer phoned the police immediately. The robber pulled out a pistol-like object.

– He pointed the pistol in Areej’s faced and forced her to open the cash-register, Naseer tells us.

The robber made off with a small amount of money and telephone cash-cards. Naseer was shouting for help all the time on the phone to the police. But before the police reached the scene, the robber had had time to make his escape.

The robbery on 1st October is the third within a year. None of the robberies has been solved.

– We moved from our home country Iraq to be able to feel safe, but there’s no safety here. Now I’m really scared, says Naseer Al-Luaibi.

The first robbery was a year ago, on 10th October 2018. Naseer was alone in the shop. Two masked youths came into the shopand pointed a pistol at him. Naseer managed to pull one of the robbers to the floor and disarm him. The robbers got away with a small sum of money, but not the gun, which turned out to be a soft air gun.

The second robbery was in February this year. The robbers were masked, and had weapons with them – a sword-like knife, a pistol and a chain.

– A lot of young people use narcotics and need to find money. They must be stopped. It’s a job for the police, but the police don’t act strongly enough, says Naseer Al-Luaibi.

– There are a lot less customers now. And everyone who comes in wonders why the police don’t do anything about it, he says.

After the latest robbery Naseer locks the door when it gets dark. The shop is open until 9 pm on weekdays and 10 pm at weekends. But now customers must wait to be let into the shop.

Naseer’s eyes fill with tears when he tells us about the robberies and how they have affected his family. His daughter is in her last year of study as a dentist and his son plays in IFK. He opened the shop for the sake of his children. He wants to keep on working – if it weren’t for the robberies. Now he is trying to sell his shop and move away from Kristianstad.

– I’m scared it will happen a fourth time. And I’m afraid when I’m at home too, says Naseer.

Naseer wishes that he and his family could feel secure. And that he wouldn’t need to Close his shop.

– I’d like to ask the politicians: Who protects us here?