Cash Crusaders at Lambton Court was the latest shop to encounter a business robbery by suspects under the guise of regular customers.
The store, which is divided into two parts, the retail shop and the buy shop, was wrapping up business for the day when it was robbed.
According to a shop employee, who wished to remain anonymous, seven men entered the store recently in the early evening.
“The one man had a car audio system with him and insisted the staff reopen the buy shop which had just been closed at 5.30pm,” said the witness.
In the buy shop, while assisting the suspects, thinking they were customers, the staff members were allegedly informed the store was being robbed and they were to follow the orders given.
ALSO READ: Man arrested for Makause murder
The suspects allegedly took out their guns and threw bags at the staff while ordering them to fill the bags with money, cellphones and laptops.
“I could see everything from my office and after pressing the panic button multiple times, the alarm would not go off.
“I left the office through another door leading to the storeroom and right outside the storeroom another suspect was waiting for me.
“He took me to the front and instructed me to open my office door, it requires an access code which none of the other staff members know,” said the employee.
She deliberately punched in the wrong access code, thinking it could buy her and the other staff time for the security company to arrive, but it did not.
“I told them the system needed a 30-minute interval to reprogramme itself before I would be able to punch in the code again,” she said.
Exactly 30 minutes later she was allegedly instructed to key in the correct pin or she would be killed.
Once the office and the safe doors were opened, the suspects ordered two staff members to fill another two bags with money and gadgets found in the safe.
An estimated R50 000 in cash, including gadgets, is alleged to have been stolen.
ALSO READ: Woman shares story of armed robbery at retail store
“When we opened the store that morning, a man walked in, leisurely walked around and left without buying anything.
“Looking at the camera footage it seems the man was casing the place and we suspect he may have disarmed the alarm during that time too,” the employee said.
“Although seven were in the shop we think there were more outside as the robbers were following the instructions of an unidentified man over the phone,” she added.
According to Const Maxwell Mabunda, communications officer for the Germiston police, no arrests have yet been made and the case is still under investigation.
“The suspects are still at large. What we do know is there were 10 men in total who were associated with the robbery,” he said.
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.zaor Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist) kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za
Remember to visit the Germiston City News on the following social media platforms:
Or add the GCN on WhatsApp 079 406 1181 or BBM (BBM Pin: 7F102137) today, to get all the latest news.
Catch-up on more local news with our sister newspapers Bedfordview Edenvale News, Alberton Record and Kempton Express.
