Why ‘burglary tourists’ are flying to the US and targeting wealthy Indian Americans

Balakrishna and Rama Sundar built their dream home in California, but now they want to move out as soon as possible. Their house is located in Dana Point, overlooking the ocean.

A burglar’s sense of security was shattered when he smashed their home’s elevator door with a sledgehammer, thinking there was a safe behind it.

“We want to move out of here, but I don’t feel safe at all,” Rama Sundar told CNN.

Balakrishna and Rama Sundar are among dozens of Asian Americans, including Indian Americans, who have been targeted by “burglary tourists” or “criminal tourists.”

Police busted one such ring in Seattle in April, arresting five thieves. They use leased properties and cars and frequently change locations.

american police Five men arrested in connection with at least 17 burglaries in Southern California Targeting Indian-American and other South Asian residents of Kirkland, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle and the surrounding area.

Over the past five years, police have noticed an increase in thieves from South American countries traveling to the United States to commit robberies.

Last year, police in Maryland, North Carolina and New York also made arrests in cases involving Chilean citizens who entered the United States without visas and participated in luxury home burglaries.

Although there are no official statistics on how many crimes these “burglary tourists” have committed, it is estimated to be at least several hundred.

For example, according to CNN, 175 residential burglaries occurred in Ventura County, California, from 2019 to mid-2023, linked to a “transnational burglary ring.”

Why burglary tourists target Indian-American homes

These “burglary tourists” fly in from South American countries such as Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

Media reports said the thieves were targeting homes in neighborhoods with a high concentration of Indian-American families.

The reason behind such targeting could be stereotypes, with criminals believing that these families possess more gold jewellery, expensive items or cash, the US news portal reported.

Additionally, thieves may view Indian-American neighborhoods as affluent or affluent areas and assume higher incomes in these neighborhoods.

Therefore, these criminals specifically target Indian-American families, hoping to find valuables and escape quickly.

These thefts may occur during the day or night, with criminals conducting reconnaissance to determine the best time to strike.

How Thieves Abuse U.S. Tourist Visas and Visa Waivers

The idea is that they use a tourist visa to travel to the United States because it does not require background checks on travelers and allows them to visit legally. The problem is, these “tourists” are not here for sightseeing.

Some thieves also take advantage of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.

Prosecutors told CNN the break-ins are part of a larger problem in which so-called “burglary tourists” enter the United States from countries that qualify for visa exemptions. Visa Waiver allows you to visit the United States for up to 90 days without a traditional tourist visa.

After entering the United States, they joined criminal gangs that targeted the property of wealthy people.

The gangs have been stealing items such as jewellery, watches, designer goods, cash and gold. They do this either to return them to their home country or to sell them while in the United States before returning home.

Thieves tend not to carry guns. As a result, they have not been charged with any firearms-related offences. But sometimes they carry signal-jamming devices to disable home security systems, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Chileans are often involved in these criminal groups, but there are also people from other South American countries such as Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

Asian American business owners’ homes become easy targets

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Chief Dominic Choi told a Police Commission meeting that there has been a significant increase in burglaries by organized groups from abroad targeting wealthy families.

Last year, police in Burbank, California arrested a 33-year-old man from Chile. He was arrested after four men broke in through a sliding door and called the police on a woman who was hiding in her bathroom.

Middle- and upper-class Asian American communities are being affected by this trend. Asian American business owners are often targeted for “tourism theft.”

“For many Asian business owners, the entire family works together, so when they are all working and the home is unattended, these groups conduct research. They may spend a few days in the city specifically looking for targets, and when They commit burglaries when they know the business owner, usually a family, is at work,” US news website NewsNation reported.

Borders restrict the movement of people, while visas and visa exemptions promote travel and tourism. However, “burglary tourism” is emerging in the United States, which poses a huge threat to the safety of Asian communities.