PINETOWN SAPS has issued a notice about crime trends and modus operandi that the community should beware of.

In this edition, the station commander Brigadier Leon Matthysen highlights robbery and business robbery cases.

He said according to their analysis, the majority of all robberies recorded were street robberies where the offenders are in groups of two to six.

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Matthysen reported that the suspects target mostly males aged between 13 to 79 and females aged between 20 to 70. They threatened victims with knives, iron pipes, screwdrivers, sharp instruments, firearms, hands, and unknown / other sharp instruments, and demanded mainly cash, cellphones and jewellery.

He also warned of another group consisting of two to eight men who are committing robberies in the CBD, and are in possession of firearms and knives.

“There is a new modus operandi were suspects impersonate police officials and produce appointment cards to deceive victims in order to rob them.

“Two black women operating and one male driver, suspects take victim into their vehicle, drive around with them and demand the victim to give them their bank cards and Pin, then drop them off in different places outside the station precinct area.

“We have also received reports of a group of three men using a white VW Polo, also in possession of firearms, committing robberies in the Pinetown CBD and surrounding Pinetown suburbs. People who are on foot are falling victims.”

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Speaking about the business robberies, Matthysen said the majority of them occurred at industrial parks where groups of two to six men target unarmed security guards after business hours and in the early hours of the morning.

“The security guard will be tied up, overpowered, ordered to lie down or locked in the guard room, deprived of their cellphone. Properties like computers, tyres, motor vehicle / truck batteries, copper, cash and cellphones are mostly targeted, and they threaten with firearms and knives.

“We also received a report of two to four black men with one coloured man approaching victims (security guards) and they tie them with shoelaces and cable ties and take the victims’ valuables, also at business premises,” he said.

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