Robbers driving off with victims a worrying trend
One man was forced to share his pin before the assailants withdrew money and left him tied up in Clewer.
Robbers have been very busy in our city.
The number of robbers carrying firearms used in their crimes is a constant worry.
In recent cases, robbers went above and beyond to get what they want.
In the first case on July 5, a person owing money to the victim contacted the victim to arrange a taxi to pick him up to take him to the bank where the money owed will be paid back to the victim.
The victim agreed and took the arranged taxi. He noticed that the taxi was not stopping at the bank but rather at Siyanqoba where the man was waiting for him.
The complainant alleges that he was taken from the taxi and placed into the boot of another vehicle by force where his hand was placed in handcuffs and the suspects drove off with the man.
The victim was dropped off in a field in Clewer by the assailants where they replaced the handcuffs with cable ties and left the victim there. It was later discovered that the suspect contacted the victim’s family demanding a ransom of R150 000.
The suspect was later arrested.
In another case, a hitchhiker found himself in trouble when he tried to get a lift to Johannesburg.
On July 1 the victim was trying to flag down a motorist for a lift when a white Audi without registration number plates stopped and offered the victim a ride.
In the vehicle, three males were conversing in Zulu. The victim was sat in the backseat of the vehicle with one male.
The one suspect then took out a firearm and demanded the victim’s bank card and pin. The suspects then proceeded to transfer funds by using the victim’s banking app. A total of R6 600 was transferred.
The suspects then drove to a shopping centre on Plumber Street and withdrew the cash.
It is unclear where the victim was released after being held captive. The victim said that he would be able to identify the suspects if he were to see them again.
Another resident found himself staring into the barrel of a gun on the side of the road.
In the late evening hours of July 1, a motorist travelling on Verena Road suddenly had a breakdown when he noticed that his vehicle was overheating.
After stopping the victim was approached by two males who asked if he needed any help. After telling the suspected robbers about the fault the two males took out firearms and demanded that the victim hand over all of his belongings.
After handing over his belongings including his wallet and two cellphones, the victim’s hands were tied up by the robbers and they proceeded to drive off with the victim in their Mazda vehicle.
The robbers demanded that the victim keep his head down. Somewhere on Kromdraai Road, the victim was forced to give his bank pin where an amount of R4 000 was withdrawn from his account. The victim was then released and the robbers fled.
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