Atlasville jewellery store robbers are still at large

Police are on the lookout for at least five armed robbers who got away with an undisclosed amount of jewellery after robbing a store at Atlas Mall, Atlasville, on the afternoon of May 31.

Boksburg North SAPS station commander Colonel Mack Mngomezulu said police were investigating a business robbery case following the incident. No arrests have been made and the station commander could not confirm the value of the stolen jewellery.

Anyone with information about the robbery should contact the Boksburg North police station at 011 960 0100 or Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
Anonymous tip-offs can also be made through the MySAPS app.

Also Read: WATCH: Robbers help themselves to jewellery at Atlas Mall

Clinton Festraets, owner of Legendary Guardians Exclusive Protection, previously said the suspects used a white VW Polo sedan as a getaway car.

Video footage about the incident has been circulating on social media and sent to the Boksburg Advertiser by a well-placed source.
It shows the robbers, unmasked, casually putting jewellery into bags, fleeing the store and then exiting through the pedestrian gate in Finch Street.

They were all wearing black jackets – four wore caps/bucket hats and one a beanie.

Atlas Mall and the jewellery store declined to comment on the matter.

Tips on what to do in a mall robbery
According to Charnel Hattingh, national marketing and communications manager for Fidelity ADT, knowing what to do during a mall robbery could save your life.
“The golden rule, if ever caught in the middle of a heist, is to stay calm,” said Hattingh.

“Customers need to remain vigilant at all times and should always be on the lookout for suspicious activities and be aware of people around them.”

Fidelity ADT provides advice if you are in a store being robbed:
• Cooperate with robbers for your own safety. Listen to their instructions and follow it.
• Try to keep as calm as possible. Everyone reacts differently but tries to breathe deeply until help arrives.
• Do not use your cellphone while the robbery is in process. This could agitate the assailants.
• Immediately find a sheltered spot and keep low on the ground.
• Note the assailants to pass information on to the authorities, such as what they are wearing, distinctive clothes, markings or jewellery. Try to remember what they look like, such as height or weight.
• Ensure your children are close to you. Do not let children wander off while you are shopping.
• Do not shop with large amounts of cash or valuables.
If you are not in the store being robbed:
• Speak with the store personnel to first close the roller shutter doors. This is also standard operating procedure in many malls and move to the back of the store, out of sight.
• Find a store closest to you and secure yourself as described above.
• Do not exit via the standard entry and exit points, as these are the same points the robbers will use. Many malls now have standard operating procedures to lock down the mall.

Also read: Atlas Mall tighten security following robbery