Gangs strike throughout Highway

ARMED gangs have targeted residents and businesses in brazen daylight hijackings and robberies in the Highway Area, as revealed in a crime report released by Blue Security.

According to the security company’s managing director, Darryn le Grange, there have been seven incidents of armed robberies and hijackings during the past two weeks.

“Gangs operating in groups of three and four members have targeted businesses and residents in the Pinetown, New Germany and Westmead areas in broad daylight. Residents are urged to be on the lookout for a black VW Polo, a white BMW and a silver Toyota RunX which were used by the gangs to perpetrate these crimes,” said le Grange.

In one incident a gang of four men held up staff members at a business premises in Circle Drive in Wyebank at 6am and fled with cellphones, jewellery and cash. In a separate robbery, a gang of three armed men held up the owner of a property in Goshawk Road in New Germany for 15 minutes and fled with cash, a computer, food and drinks.

“A gang of three men in a Toyota RunX derailed the driveway gates of a property in Rushbrook Road in Moseley Park at around 10am and held up the owner at gunpoint. They fled with jewellery and a bag containing bank cards and a cellphone,” said le Grange.

A gang of four men hijacked a motorist of her Toyota Yaris as she parked her car in Schenk Road in New Germany, while a resident in Gillitts Road in Westmead was hijacked of his Mercedes Benz as he was leaving his property.

“A resident in Marrianridge Drive was also hijacked of his Chevrolet as he was leaving his property,” said le Grange.

Le Grange said it appeared that the gangs were skulking around the Highway areas looking for opportunities to target unsuspecting residents.

“We urge business owners and residents to be vigilant at all times of the day when arriving and leaving a secured property and to be on the lookout for any suspicious cars with several occupants that appear to be loitering in the area,” le Grange said.

“However, it’s also important to be aware of pedestrians passing the gate when you are about to park or leave as in many hijacking cases gangs have been known to drop off their armed members who are then free to make a getaway in the hijacked vehicle.”

Le Grange added that the company had also noticed a recent trend where armed robbers were targeting motorists, as they get out of their cars, and robbing them of their cellphones and laptops.

“There was one such incident in Manors Road in Pinetown on Friday where three armed men in a white BMW approached a motorist as he was leaving his car and robbed him of his laptop,” concluded le Grange.