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The New Zealand Police on Tuesday moved to reassure foreign students after a spate of attacks on Asians studying in the country's biggest city of Auckland.
Police expressed concern about recent aggravated robberies in the city, saying every effort was being made to bring the offenders to justice.
Four incidents had been reported in the last week, and arrests have been made in two cases while police continued to hunt for the offenders in the other two.
In the most recent incident which occurred on Monday evening, four youths were arrested after trying to steal a handbag from a young woman who was walking in the central suburb of Newmarket.
The young woman was pushed to the ground and the alleged offenders, aged from 12 to 14, were caught after being scared off by a passerby.
Last week, two young women were attacked and robbed in a central park near the University of Auckland.
The New Zealand Herald newspaper reported the victims were Chinese students at the university.
The newspaper reported another incident when a male Chinese student at the Unitec tertiary institution was attacked on Thursday morning.
Two men attacked him as he walked through a walkway, punching him to the ground before kicking him and stomping on his head, said the report.
Inspector Joe Tipene said police were concerned by any attacks of this nature.
"We would like to reassure the student community that there is no evidence to suggest that any of the recent incidents were linked or that there had been any specific increase in such incidents," Tipene said.
Auckland was an incredibly safe city, but, like all international cities, there are opportunist offenders who would take advantage of people who sometimes inadvertently put themselves in a vulnerable positions, he said.
"We would always recommend that people walk in well-lit streets at night and, where possible, stay with other people. It is also advisable not to have your personal items on display -- this includes smart phones and other communication devices," he said.
