Business robberies seem to have skyrocketed in the past week, with five distinctive cases having been reported, and the question on everyone’s lips is – who’s next?
On May 3 at 12:00, two strange males entered a shop in Model Park, and immediately, without hesitation jumped over the counter and herded the shop’s employees into a backroom, where they were told to lie down on the ground.
The robbers took R15 800 before making their getaway on foot.
On the same day at approximately 14:45, eMalahleni’s criminals proved how low they’re willing to go for their “fix” by robbing a funeral home.
Three men entered the funeral home and immediately told the attendee to keep quiet.
One of the men whipped a gun out from inside of his pants and pointed it at the attendee’s head.
“Rob her!” one of the robber’s criminal comrades screamed at him, to which he complied.
The armed robber took all of the attendee’s money, before the three armed men went and pillaged the rest of the cash on the premises.
It is estimated that they got away with R40 000.
Also on May 3 at 20:30, three armed men entered a fuel station with a child’s school bag in hand.
Once inside of the fuel station shop, two of the three men whipped out revolvers and demanded that the cashier on duty empty the contents of the till into the school bag.
The cashier complied.
The robbers also got away with a number of packets of cigarettes from behind the till.
On May 5 at approximately 00:50, three armed men stormed another fuel station with two cashiers on duty.
The first cashier happened to be behind the till when he heard a loud ‘bang’ from outside.
He immediately ran out, concerned for the safety of his colleague, but was met with his colleague’s fervent screaming “Run!”
His colleague pressed the panic button, but not a moment after, two of the three men charged into the fuel station shop and forced the two cashiers to the ground.
One of the three men kept his pistol on the two men on the ground, while the other two men disappeared into the back of the shop.
Suddenly, the cashiers heard another bang; louder this time.
One of the cashiers looked up, but the man holding them at gunpoint told him “lay still, we bombed the drop safe.”
The cashiers then noticed a CSC Tactical car pulling up in the parking lot. The man holding them at gunpoint wandered outside, whereafter the cashiers heard more gunshots and someone screaming “Hamba!” (‘Go’ in English).
The three robbers made off on foot, followed by CSC Tactical members.
Despite this ‘cowboys-and-robbers’-esque escape, both of the cashiers and the CSC Tactical members got off unscathed.
The robbers had also been unsuccessful in bombing the safe as it appears that they did not use enough explosive material to blow it open.
On May 6 at approximately 17:15, Mr Michael Edward was busy preparing to close up TotallyGas in Stevenson Street when a silver Volkswagen Polo pulled up into the parking lot.
A woman approached Edward – a woman he initially believed to be a client – and he went inside to help her.
“It all happens so quickly, you hardly even have time to react,” Edward said.
Once inside, two other assailants ran at Edward, forcing him to the ground and hog-tying him.
The criminals, five in total, then cut open the drop safe in the store and loaded its contents into their Polo.
They managed to get away with an undisclosed amount of cash, tools and Edward’s cellphone.
Business owners are cautioned to be weary of any suspicious activity.
Any persons with information on the above robberies can contact Crime Stop at 086 00 10111.
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