Empangeni house burglaries ‘worst in five years’

HOUSE burglaries in Empangeni have increased dramatically over the festive season in number and the spike is continuing its upward surge.

According to Nite Owl Security owner Mark Joseph, the situation is possibly the ‘worst in five years’.

‘The number of incidents has been extremely high,’ he said. ‘The incidents have also been quite violent.’

According to Joseph the domestic sector was most affected, with burglers using old and new methods of gaining entry to homes.

He referred to an incident in Flamingo Street last week when burglars attempted to run over a homeowner with their getaway vehicle when he arrived at his house, interrupting the burglary.

‘It’s syndicated. This group of guys travel in a car, applying the same modus operandi to different properties,’ said Joseph.

‘In about three to five minutes they are in and out, grabbing electronics – TV’s, computers, cell phones and so on.’

Targeted approach

Other security companies in and around Empangeni experienced a quieter Christmas and New Year.

According to Fernando Maia, Manager of Alpha Security and Patrols, they only had three incidents of attempted break-ins.

‘We did however experience a number of theft of motor vehicles the first week in November, where at least 10 cars were stolen, as well as a number of hijackings.’

Larry Erasmus of Security 4 U said he also had a relatively quiet period on the farmlands, with very few incidents being reported.