Businesses targeted following festive rush
A gang of nifty robbers are targeting businesses in the northern suburbs and city centre.
More than ten businesses have already fallen prey to this gang. The group of brazen robbers, caught on camera during an attempted break-in at the Allandale Mini-Market and Superette in the Plymouth Road shopping complex, shows how at first, an unmasked man, armed with a crowbar or iron rod, calmly approaches the locked burglar guard gates, attempts to pry it open with the rod, before another gang member arrives, wearing gloves, to help him pull the gate open.
When the two of them appear unsuccessful at pulling the entire shop-front burglar guard out, more gang members arrive before leaving to return in another attempt to gain access to the premises, this time successfully breaking the hinge. Then another suspect, wearing a back-pack, a peak cap and dressed in full white, tried to break the lock and leaves. They all then return and pull the gate apart together – which is when they flee after seeing the CCTV camera and after setting the alarm off.
Prior to this incident, another business The Fruit and Veg Grocer, in the same vicinity was also broken into.
Allandale Mini-Market and Superette owner Sash Lajmeeneranj said it was high time the community took a united stand in the fight against crime.
“We must stand together and alert each other of these incidents. The community must assist in identifying these suspects. Chances are that someone has seen them or knows who are they and where they can be found,” said Lajmeeneranj.
Other local businesses in Balhambra Way and Northdale have also been broken into and robbed in the past few weeks. While many of the business owners confirmed the robberies, they were hesitant to speak to the Public Eye for fear of further attacks.
In the city centre, four employees of Propshaft Rebuilders CC on Greyling Street were held at gunpoint, kicked around, beaten to a pulp and bound with cable-ties on Tuesday before being robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash.
Shocked staff said they were still traumatised and could not believe they were robbed in the middle of the day in such a brazen manner.
“It was an indescribable ordeal…I’m still having flashbacks, but what can we do? This is the South Africa we have to live in,” said a despondent Steven Naidoo, who was one of the four employees who was held up.
Naidoo and his colleagues Kovlin Nair, Sbu Zuma and Sthembiso Madlala were left in shock and excruciating pain after six men barged into the store between 8:15 am and 8:30 am. He said two suspects entered the store as potential customers and requested car parts and while being attended to, four more suspects (two with firearms in hand) entered the store demanding cash.
Colonel Pillay, acting station commander at the Mountain Rise Police Station confirmed the burglaries, saying two cash registers were recovered close to one of the supermarkets that had been broken into. Police have also been able to lift fingerprints from the scene. Police investigations continue.
“We are appealing to businesses to step up on security and properly secure businesses. We are asking that items with serial numbers be recorded which makes it easier to recover if it is stolen and associated with other burglaries,” said SAPS area spokesman Captain Gay Ebrahims.
Watch the video of the intruders who were caught on camera attempting to break into Allandale Mini Market and Superette:
