Drop safe bombing heist takes place at Emoyeni Mall
Emoyeni Mall had to contend with two armed robberies in the space of a week. In the latest incident, security guards were held hostage in the early hours of Reconciliation Day on Monday.
PIENAAR – “This is the second incident in a week, where the same shops were targeted.”
“They used explosives to bomb three places inside the mall,” said Pienaar police spokesman, Jabu Ndubane.
“Previously the assailants took cash and liquor from Liquor City, but nothing from Roots Butchery. During the first incident there was video footage available. On that footage we saw how 13 suspects escaped in a black Ford Ranger.”
Ndubane confirmed that Monday’s incident took place at around 03:00. An undisclosed amount of money was taken by 15 suspects, armed with pistols from Roots Butchery and Liquor City. It could not be confirmed if anything was taken from Capitec bank.
“They tied up five security guards, who managed to free themselves and notify the police of the robbery. A case has been registered at the station and we are currently investigating the matter. No specific leads are being followed at this moment,” she said.
The Police Operations Command Centre (POCC) in the province stated that Roots Butchery’s management verified that an amount of R300 000 was taken from their drop safe. “The other institutions still need to confirm how much money they had lost.”
According to John Mathebula, the Liquor City branch manager, the assailants took approximately R200 000 in cash as well as liquor from the store. “There was a lot of damage done to the store. The explosives shattered the glass and there is a hole in the roof,” Mathebula said.
Callum MacPherson, regional operational manager of Hi-Tech Security, confirmed that one of their N4 patrol teams assisted in the matter. “A few alarms were tripped by the blast and our guys responded.”
Bullet casings were found on the scene, so it is possible that there could have been an exchange of gunfire between the police and the suspects.”When we arrived the robbers were already gone. According to allegations the perpetrators were unsuccessful in breaking the Capitec safe open with the explosives they used,” MacPherson said.
Ndubane could not confirm whether there was an exchange of gunfire between the police and the robbers.
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MacPherson stated that it was likely the work of a syndicate who have been operating the entire year between KaBokweni and Barberton, “basically the whole Ehlanzeni district,” he said.
Provincial police spokesman, Brig Leonard Hlathi could not verify the total amount of money stolen in the heist.
He urged anyone with information about the robbery to come forward and report what they know to their nearest police station.
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