Japanese Gardens robberies flare up again

IN a space of just one week, there have been three attacks at the Japanese Gardens. The first attack took place last Thursday at 4.45pm. Durban North SAPS spokesman, Raymond Deokaran, said a man was held at knife-point and the attackers demanded his cell phone and fled the scene.

Two days before that, a photographer taking pictures in the Japanese Gardens was attacked and his camera was taken. Deokaran said the photographer told police that he tried to negotiate with the attackers not to take his expensive camera. “They knew that the cash the photographer was offering was worth much less than the camera itself and they demanded the camera,” he said.

According to Deokaran, the crime spree continued into this week when another victim, who was attacked on Wednesday of this week, reported that she had parked her Jeep in the parking lot of the popular gardens and proceeded to walk inside with a friend. Both women’s cell phones were taken in the attack.

He said the police were planning an undercover operation, adding that the arrest of two suspects last year and four more this year have had little effect in reducing the high numbers of attacks. “Most of the attacks take place towards closing time, at around 5pm. People must be careful out there. We have said this before.”

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