CrimeNews

Criminals taking advantage of winter’s longer nights

Th Highway was hit hard by criminals during the past few weeks.

ARMED robbers have targeted several businesses and homes in the Highway area recently.

Blue Security’s operations manager, Brian Jackson, said a gang of five armed men held up a security guard at gunpoint at a business premises in Hagart Road in Pinetown at about 5.30am last Friday, 17 June. “The armed robbers forced open the front door before ordering the security guard to lie down on the floor. They fled with several televisions,” said Jackson. One of the men was also wearing a jacket with the branding of a local security company.

A man was arrested in Eden Road in Pinetown after attempting to hijack a security guard at around 1.30am on Friday, 17 June. “The man was bizarrely armed with two flaming branches, which he held out, demanding car keys from the security guard. He was arrested by another security guard at the scene and handed over to the police,” he said.

A group of armed men also held up a family in a home invasion in Elm Road just before 8pm last Monday.

“The family was watching television in their lounge when they heard the front door being kicked in. Four men, one of them armed with a firearm, burst into the house and ordered the family to lie on the floor and to not look at them. The gang fled with the gate motor, two laptops, a television, a handbag, wallet, cellphone and jewellery. No injuries were reported,” said Jackson.

Jackson said a gang of three hijackers had also held up and assaulted a resident in MacDonald Road in Cowies Hill just before 11pm.

“The gang ambushed the resident as he was pulling into his driveway. They hit him on his head with the butt of a firearm and hijacked him of his vehicle, which the police later recovered in Clermont,” he said.

“ER24 paramedics attended the scene and treated the victim for his injuries,” he said.

Jackson advised residents to be vigilant as criminals take advantage of winter’s shorter days and longer nights, which provide a cover of darkness under which to operate.

“We advise residents and business people to be security-conscious at home and on the road, especially when pulling into their driveways or stopping to fetch children from school. Make sure there are no suspicious individuals or vehicles lurking near your home or business before you turn into your driveway, and drive around the block if you notice anything that makes you feel uneasy. If the loiterers are still there when you return, call the police or your security company to investigate,” he said.

Jackson advised residents and business-owners to also inspect and test their properties’ security systems for any wear-and-tear and to ensure burglar bars, walls, fences and gates are all adequately intact.

“Cut back any overgrown bushes which could provide a hiding place for intruders and consider installing an anti-gate crashing kit and external beams in the yard if you don’t have these already, for an early warning system to alert you to the presence of intruders,” he said.

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