More business burglaries and robberies were reported at the Witbank Police Station during the past week – most reports coming from businesses in the Central Business District (CBD) area.
Mr Rana Hossain, business owner, recently retold how he became the victim of an armed robbery just outside his shop in Beatty Street.
On Thursday February 12, Hossain recalled closing his store for the day. Due to previous burglaries, Hossain took some of the goods, sold in his store, with him for safe keeping. “There were some break-ins before, but then they could only take a few things worth R200…R300 in cash.”
Thursday night however, Hossain received a nasty surprise when four suspects cornered him after he locked the doors of his shop. “Two were armed with guns,” he said. The suspects took the cash, airtime vouchers, two cell phones and cigarettes Hossain had brought with him and then also took the keys to his car.
Hossain was left unharmed but shaken. His vehicle, a Toyota with the registration number: SKT 664 MP was recovered the following day by Vosman Police. One of the stolen cell phones were allegedly found inside the car, but the rest of the loot, as well as the suspects had disappeared.
Earlier during the week, on Tuesday February 10, a business robbery was also reported in the Klarinet area.
It was reported that an employee, who was then off duty, had been sleeping in his vehicle inside the business premises, when he was awoken by four unknown suspects.
The man reported waking from a knock on his window and seeing a firearm pointed at him.
The victim was forced to unlock the doors of his vehicle, where-after he was allegedly shoved down, to lie underneath his car, whilst the suspects used his office key to break in and steal electronic devices, such as a microwave, computers, camera, kettle and cell phones.
Police warn business owners to take extra care and to take heed of suspicious vehicles near their stores.
Often one would find suspects watching the store to pick up patterns of activity when money is being moved from the shops and/ or to wait for an opportunity to strike and surprise unsuspected business owners or employers.
