THE pre-wedding celebrations at a Malvern family’s home were marred when they were robbed of R30 000 on Friday, 2 September.
According to communications officer for the Malvern SAPS, W/O Radhika Marimuthu, the businessman was returning home after he collected a sum of money from an undisclosed location. When the businessman reached home a few minutes later, the three armed men stormed his house and held the family up.
“They demanded money and proceeded to search the occupants of the house. A wedding was expected to be held and apart from the normal occupants of the house, extended family members were present. A sum of R30 000 was taken from the family,” said W/O Radhika Marimuthu.
While the robbers were fleeing, another resident of the house had pulled up and blocked their path. They demanded the keys of the vehicle and fled in it. The car was later recovered in Bridge Section, KwaMashu by SAPS Malvern Crime Prevention members, W/O Trevor Raghunandhan and Cst Protas Sibiya.
A case of house robbery has been registered with the police. Anyone with information in this regard is urged to contact W/O Breytenbach on 031 489 9631 or the Branch Commander Capt Khambule on 031 489 9624 or 489 9629.W/O Marimuthu added that residents having functions are urged to inform their security companies for added security. “Although decorating the premises is a tradition in some cultures, it also lures criminals.”
For businesses operating from home, it is prudent not to have prominent signage. “This informs and attracts criminals. Stricter measures must be taken to ensure that you know who is entering your property at all times. They should also avoid keeping large amounts of cash on the property,” stated W/O Marimuthu.
