Four suspects having a ‘blast’ in DIY
A second suspect shoved explosives into the gap around the safe door. The suspects then scattered. A short pause was followed by a major explosion.
Four suspects had the time of their lives at the Do It Yourself (DIY) Depot early on the morning of 9 January, when they blew the business’ safe to pieces and stole the contents thereof.
The incident started at about 1am, as four suspects forced entry into the property by breaking the locks on the gate. It is believed the suspects gained entry into the store through an open lower level window.
Photo: supplied.
CCTV footage from inside the store shows the suspects casually strolling up and down the aisles and browsing the shelves. They continue to walk around, apparently looking for safes and cash boxes.
One of the suspects discovered the large safe inside the store and proceeded to remove the table which covered it. Another suspect took a crowbar from the store shelf and tried to force the safe’s door open, but was unsuccessful. A third suspect then took a grinder from its box, grabbed an extension cord and plugged it in. The suspects argued for a few minutes and then unplugged the grinder.
A fourth suspect, who was making phone calls for at least two hours, can be seen wandering around the store.
Three of the suspects then proceeded to the parking area where a DIY company vehicle was parked. The fourth suspect came out, carrying the keys of the vehicle and effortlessly unlocked it. A camera monitoring the parking area clearly shows the suspects loading various pieces of equipment taken from the store into the boot. The suspects raided other safes on the property, but were not able to open the large safe.
The suspects got into the vehicle at about 2.30am and drove away. Surprisingly, they returned shortly thereafter.
The video footage continues, showing three suspects approaching the safe they had previously failed to open. One suspect used a crowbar to open the safe door slightly. A second suspect then shoved an object into the gap the other had created and lit it.
Photo: Supplied
The suspects scattered and after a short pause a major blast occurred. The security camera footage shows a white flash and distorted footage until the image returns. Luckily, the camera remained undamaged and it showed the suspects returning to the safe and raiding its contents. They then ran to the parking area, and drove away in the company vehicle.
Residents of the area said they heard the blast at about 3am.
Krugersdorp Police detectives, Thompsons Security personnel and the store manager were on scene shortly after the blast. The total value of the money stolen from the property is approximately R27 000.
“We haven’t calculated the cost of all the equipment stolen, but it could amount to thousands,” said Tanya Coetzee, DIY’s debtors clerk.
The company vehicle was also stolen, plus a laptop and cigarettes.
A new safe has been installed and various security upgrades will be put in place to ensure the situation does not repeat itself. DIY is still open for business and the customers’ safety is guaranteed.
The company has since retrieved the vehicle.
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