While waiting for an app-based taxi at the Rosebank Gautrain Station, Anup Roula had his phone snatched from behind at around 5.30pm on 21 May.
“I was standing outside the station with my wife. We had just ordered a [taxi] online on my phone. I was looking at the phone to check how long it would take for it to arrive,” he said.
Roula said a criminal appeared behind him, grabbed his phone and ran away. “I screamed and chased after him. He was a bit taken aback when I chased after him. A passing tow truck driver opened his door and we tried to chase them down.”
As Roula and the tow truck driver attempted to catch the criminal, he jumped into a car with an open door. The car took off immediately and was out of sight in an instant.
The victim said when he went back to the station, he found five security guards questioning what had happened.
Roula believes that if there was a warning about thefts and robberies at the station, he would have been more cautious.
“It was already late when the guards showed up. From my experience, the police usually do not do anything so I did not report it,” said Roula. “The security guards and the Gautrain management should at least alert people about the crimes. Awareness will make it easier for people to be more cautious.”
Gautrain spokesperson Kesagee Nayager said, “The alleged incident did not happen within our station precinct. We always advise passengers to be aware of their surroundings and to report crime or suspicious activities to the SAPS.”
Speaking to the spokesperson of Rosebank Police Station, Sergeant Bongi Mdletshe said if a case is not reported, the police find it hard to capture the statistics of the crime around the area. “A crime should be analysed for the description of suspects. If one is in a certain place, they need to be aware of suspicious vehicles and warn the police so that patrollers can frequent the place,” he advised.
“Providing information about a crime scene and having it on the system are two different things. If we have a detailed crime scene on the system, it helps the police station to be able to catch criminals.”
Have you ever been a victim of robbery? Send your story to koketsor@caxton.co.za
