The robbery took place shortly after 7pm on 16 September.
No injuries were reported. The entire ordeal lasted only 53 seconds, but everything was filmed by the shop’s security cameras.
In the security footage taken from two different angles, two men entered the shop and forced the two staff members and another female customer into a room, locking them inside.
While one of the criminals proceeded to steal a cellphone, he grabbed a steel spray bottle to keep it from being knocked over and left a clear set of fingerprints.
Watch the video below (The drama unfolds from the 6th minute in the footage):
It cannot be established if valuables were forcibly taken from the victims as no security cameras were aimed at the room’s door.
Owner of Mumbai Xpress, Jacques Botha, was not present at the time of the robbery, but happened to drive past the shop on his way to a filling station nearby shortly after the incident occurred.
“I thought it was odd that the gate was left wide open, we generally keep it locked when working late,” said Botha. He stopped to check inside and found another customer unlocking the room and letting the victims out.
This was not the first time the barber shop has made crime headlines this year. In June, the shop posted a video of a customer stealing a staff member’s cellphone, which quickly went viral.
Watch the footage from a different camera angle:
Botha has since praised Parkview police for their swift response regarding the incident.
“They arrived within five minutes. I also want to thank Captain Sandile Mkhize, who came out while he was busy on another operation. The police service was excellent,” Botha concluded.
Botha is offering a R5 000 reward to the person who brings these two criminals to book.
Parkview police spokesperson, Sergeant Lloyd Ramovha, was unable to give comment on the incident by the time of publication.
Click here to view how a cell phone was stolen from the shop during June earlier this year.
Details: Parkview Police Station 011 486 5000.
