Armed gang flees with sunglasses after failing to rob jewellery store at Somerset Mall

A gang of armed men fled a mall in Somerset West with just sunglasses on Sunday morning, Western Cape police said.

They had tried to rob a jewellery store around 10.15am, but failed, said Colonel Andrè Traut.

Somerset Mall said in a statement that six armed men had held five security guards hostage.

“The men smashed the window of the jewellery store, which immediately activated the security shutters. The perpetrators escaped with no jewellery.”

Traut said the men then went to a sunglasses store and held the staff up before fleeing with sunglasses.

One employee was injured when he fell, he said.

The mall said the employee was taken to hospital. No shots were fired during the incident.

“The security of our customers and tenants is a priority for us. We continue to work closely with the partners and stakeholders within the security cluster, as well as law enforcement authorities, to ensure the safety of costumers and tenants.”

The men have yet to be arrested.

Police were investigating cases of business robbery and attempted business robbery.

Earlier in the month, a portion of the ceiling collapsed at the mall, leaving two people with minor injuries, News24 reported.

While the mall was open for trade, the affected area was cordoned off and a number of stores remained closed, according to its website.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.