An international student is trying to recover her high-value violin after it was stolen from a New Lynn bus.

Longrui Zhu, 22, was travelling from New Lynn station into central Auckland about 9am Saturday with her prized Wang violin when she was forced to leave the bus because of an intimidating passenger.

During the incident, she left her violin, which her parents had bought from a “highly skilled luthier” in China for about ¥150,000 ($37,762), on board.

Despite realising she had left her prized instrument behind and calling Auckland Transport (AT) and the police immediately, she was too late and it was quickly snatched.

Police told the Herald they were notified of a violin theft on a West Auckland bus over the weekend and were reviewing CCTV amid ongoing inquiries.