Three men, who are believed to be part of another Rolex Gang, are behind two more robberies in the northern suburbs.
On 14 April, Keith Falke visited a shopping centre in Bryanston with his family and friends from America when their afternoon took a violent turn. Falke told the Sandton Chronicle that while parking his car in an underground parking area he was confronted by three men in balaclavas.
Falke, whose wife and friends had gotten out of the car and went to wait at a restaurant while he parked, said he was glad he was alone at the time. The men, who were driving an old grey Mercedes, got out of their vehicle and pointed firearms at Falke. The whole incident took just a few seconds and the men made off with Falke’s Rolex watch and his car.
“The first thing they said is, ‘Where’s your watch, where’s your phone and where’s your wallet?’. I had a Rolex on and it has a double latch, so you can’t just open it, but it took him half a second to take it off my arm so they knew how to do it, and then they screamed out of there in my car.”
He added that he was certain the men were professionals because of the ease with which they removed his watch, and a Tokarev semi-automatic gun had been pointed at his head.
Shortly after Falke reported the incident at the Sandton Police Station, his vehicle was recovered on Stiglingh Road in Edenburg, just off Rivonia Road. Falke added that they had managed to obtain video footage from a complex near where the car had been dumped, but the police are allegedly not acting on it.
Captain Granville Meyer, spokesperson for Sandton Police Station confirmed that a case had been opened and the police were investigating. Meyer could not confirm if they had managed to trace the suspects.
In another incident which took place on 4 May near Hyde Park Corner, a man and his partner were also targeted by what they believe are the Rolex Gang. Graeme Ewing and his partner had dinner at a restaurant in Illovo, which is where he believes they would-be attackers were watching them. At the time, Ewing was wearing a Rolex and his partner was wearing a Breitling.
While travelling in an app-based taxi to their home in Craighall Park, a car bumped into them from behind.
“We then pulled off just to the side of Jan Smuts where three male occupants of the other car got out of their vehicle wearing balaclavas and pointed their guns at us. They opened the doors of our car and pointed their guns at our heads. One of the first things the guy said to me was, ‘I am not interested in your wallet, I want your watch’,” said Ewing.
Ewing added that aside from a few scratches and bruises from being hit with the guns, he and his partner were okay following the incident. Ewing added that he has learned to rather not go out wearing an expensive watch, or even own one. He also added that it’s important not to let your guard down because you’re in a taxi.
Details: Sandton Police Station 011 722 4200.
Have you been a victim of the Rolex Gang? Share your story with laurap@caxton.co.za
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