The Tongaat central business district was rocked by a brazen armed robbery this morning when a group of armed men hit a jewellery store in Gopalall Hurbans Road.

The robbers opened fire on a Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) vehicle that happened to be in the vicinity and responded to a call for assistance within minutes.

“As our security officer approached the store, a volley of shots was fired at his vehicle by the fleeing robbers who used high-caliber weapons. They sped off towards Watson Highway in a silver Toyota Corolla, a silver IX35, and a black VW Polo,”said RUSA spokesperson Prem Balram.

He said nine spent cartridges were recovered at the scene.

CERT Emergency Response Team spokesperson Riza Sadack said the robbers allegedly made off with all the jewellery displayed on the store’s shelves. They also took a cell phone from a security officer and absconded with the CCTV camera’s hard drive.

Amid the chaos, one customer suffered a minor injury – a cut on her leg caused by shattered glass.

Tongaat police are still on the scene and will issue a statement later.