Businesses have been targeted in armed robberies over the last week.
Staff were held at gunpoint, and a customer’s vehicle stolen, in an armed robbery at a Morningside business on Wednesday.
“The incident began when two armed suspects entered a business premises, bound the staff with cable ties and forced them to lie on the floor,” said Blue Security community and media liaison officer, Andreas Mathios, “the suspects demanded to know where the safe was. When told that there was no safe on the premises the suspects proceeded to rob staff members of their cellphones,” Mathios said.
They fled in a customer’s vehicle which was later recovered in Kwa Mashu. A total of five cellphones were stolen in the robbery. No-one was seriously injured during the incident but medical attention was required for an elderly victim. Crisis counselling was also requested for the employees.
“A member of Durban Central SAPS attended the scene and investigations are continuing,” he said.
“In a separate incident in Montclair on Wednesday night supermarket staff and customers were forced to lie on the floor whilst four suspects stole cash, cigarettes and cellphones,” Mathios said.
Multiple Blue Security units raced to the scene when the panic activation was received shortly before 8pm. According to the cashiers, four suspects had entered the shop, three produced firearms, pointed them at the customers and instructed them to lie down on the floor.
“Two of the suspects then went behind the counter and demanded that the cashiers open the tills,” said Mathios, “an undisclosed amount of cash was taken from the tills as well as various cigarettes and two cellphones.”
The suspects were seen fleeing in an awaiting white Ford Fiesta with a GP number-plate on the back and no front plate. No shots fired during the incident. The victims who were assaulted were stabilized at the scene by paramedics.
“Members of Montclair SAPS attended the scene and investigations are continuing,” he said.
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