A gang of armed robbers, who pretended to be a courier service delivering a parcel, stormed their way into a home in Moseley Park in Pinetown and robbed the residents of their valuables this morning.
Blue Security community and media liaison officer Andreas Mathios said the suspects rang the doorbell of the home in Theron Place and told the domestic worker that they had arrived to deliver a parcel. The incident occurred at around 11.15am.
“The domestic worker opened the gate for them and three suspects, armed with firearms, ran into the house and held up the domestic worker, her employer and her employer’s mother. The suspects ransacked the house and demanded that the victims hand over the jewellery that they were wearing. The gang fled with a laptop, television and other valuables. No injuries were reported,” Mathios said.
Mathios advised home owners to educate their domestic workers and gardeners regarding the various modus operandi that criminals use to gain entry into homes, especially during the day when residents are usually at work. “We have had reports of criminals posing as a range of people who may legitimately require access to the property, from courier and fast food deliverymen to water and electricity meter readers,” Mathios said.
“It’s important to warn your domestic staff of these tactics employed by criminals and to advise them not to open the gate for any reason, unless they have first contacted you to find out whether you are expecting any delivery and taken steps to established the correct identity of the person standing outside,” Mathios said. “If the person seems unsure when asked for identification and your domestic worker suspects he may not be from the company he claims represent, tell her to rather be safe and not open up. If the person at the gate remains persistent contact your local security company and the police.”
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