Security beefed up at liquor stores

South Africa’s lockdown, which has placed a ban on all liquors, is seen as some of the strictest regulations globally.

Information from local security companies states that facilities, where liquor is kept, have now been identified as high-risk areas after several attempted and successful break-ins.

Andre Wessels, owner of Mid Alarms, says that call-outs to alarms have significantly decreased since everyone has been ordered to stay indoors. Of the handful of call-outs that have been received, one was to a bar that was broken into and the other to an attempted break-in at a liquor store.

Tonie Etsebeth of Triton Security says that they too are focusing their resources on protecting clients in the liquor industry. This after three attempted break-ins have been reported at the same liquor storage facility in the Industrial Area since the lockdown started on 27 March.

A reaction officer at Triton Security, who was on the scene during the most recent incident, said rumours that an R5 rifle was used, are unfounded. He could confirm that security guards who raised the alarm reported spotting robbers with guns during a previous attempt, but not with the most recent one.

The reaction officer said that police acted swiftly.

The robbers managed to evade arrest but they had to flee without their loot.

It seems that gangs of up to 12 people are involved in the robberies. Diesel is also high on the crime shopping list but all role players in the security industry agreed that it is an ongoing problem at mines and truck yards, not necessarily connected to the lockdown period.

A resident in the Central Business District told www.mobserver.co.za about a thief that broke into his outside bar and made off with a bag full of alcohol. He escaped but dropped his loot along the way after he was chased by a Mid Alarms reaction officer who responded to the alarm being triggered.