Be more vigilant, warns security boss
Blue Security has urged motorists to be more alert following a recent armed robbery and hijacking.
RESIDENTS have been warned to be vigilant following an armed robbery and a hijacking at gunpoint in Umbilo recently.
Blue Security managing director Henk Van Bemmelen warned residents to be vigilant especially when driving home and going out at night as both of the latest incidents had occurred in the evening.
“A gang of six armed men held up staff and patrons at a venue in Overport at 7.30pm on Sunday and cleared the property of 12 televisions and a microwave before fleeing in a patron’s white Hyundai. Mayville SAPS attended the scene of the crime,” he said.
In another incident, Van Bemmelen said a motorist had a lucky escape when she was hijacked while dropping her children off at a friend’s house in Umbilo at around 9pm on Friday night.
“Two men armed with firearms hijacked the motorist of her Red VW Polo. Glenwood Crisis Care and the Umbilo SAPS attended the scene,” he said.
He said a motorist in Innes Road was also attacked at 7.30pm on Friday night as she drove into a property.
“A gang of five men targeted her car and smashed the back window before grabbing a box containing cash and fleeing the scene,” he said.
A woman was also recently robbed of her bank card while she was drawing money from an ATM in Lillian Ngoyi (Windermere) Road.
Van Bemmelen urged motorists to be vigilant when driving into and out of properties and to make sure there were no suspicious vehicles or individuals lurking around, especially after drawing cash at the bank.
“Motorists are most vulnerable when they are stopped outside properties and especially when driving into and out of a driveway as it is not easy to escape if one is suddenly surrounded by hijackers. Make sure there is no one following closely behind you before you turn into a property, and if there is any suspicious activity near the gate rather take a drive around the block and call the police and your security company if the individuals have not swiftly moved on,” he said.
Van Bemmelen added that theft out of motor vehicles was also a problem in Glenwood, Umbilo and Morningside as several incidents were reported over the past two weeks.
“Make sure there is nothing valuable in your car if it is parked in the street or even in your driveway as criminals are desperate and will smash your window just to check the cubby hole for valuables,” he said.
