Employees and witnesses were inside the business establishment assisting customers when two armed suspects entered.
Swift police action and seamless coordination led to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of jewellery worth more than R3 million. Picture: iStock
Swift police action has led to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of jewellery worth more than R3 million within hours of a brazen armed robbery at a Jeffrey’s Bay jewellery store.
The robbery at the store occurred on Sunday, 2 August 2026, at about 10:15am.
Robbery
According to police spokesperson Captain Marius McCarthy, employees and witnesses were inside the business establishment assisting customers when two armed suspects entered.
“The perpetrators drew firearms, threatened the occupants, and ordered everyone to lie on the floor. Shortly thereafter, additional suspects entered the premises and smashed the glass display cabinets, looting a large quantity of jewellery with an estimated value of R3 000 000.”
CCTV
McCarthy said no shots were fired, and no injuries were reported.
“Following the immediate activation of first responders and the review of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, the suspect vehicle descriptions were swiftly circulated via local security networks and the NAVIC tracking system.
“Members of the Gqeberha Flying Squad operationalised the intelligence and spotted a vehicle fitting the description, travelling at high speed from the direction of Jeffreys Bay towards Gqeberha. Flying Squad members intercepted the vehicle along the N2 Highway,” McCarthy said.
Arrest
McCarthy said that a tactical search of the vehicle resulted in the arrest of four suspects between the ages of 24 and 36.
“Police confiscated a large quantity of jewellery still bearing tags belonging to the jewellery store, one round of AK-47 ammunition, and clothing matching the exact description worn by the suspects during the robbery.”
The suspects were arrested and are due to appear before court on charges of possession of suspected stolen property and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Warning
The Sarah Baartman District Commissioner, Major General Thandiswa Kupiso, has highly commended the operational synergy and rapid response that led to the swift breakthrough.
“This outstanding success underscores the undeniable power of collaborative policing and the strategic deployment of our specialised units. The seamless integration of technology, real-time intelligence sharing with our security partners, and the tactical precision of the Flying Squad ensured that these dangerous criminals were neutralised before they could evade justice.
“We sent a clear warning to criminal syndicates that our highways and communities are heavily policed. The recovery of this multi-million-rand property and the removal of illegal ammunition from our streets is a significant victory in our ongoing war against aggravated robberies,” said Kupiso.
Investigations are ongoing.
