In the early hours of Monday morning eight armed men carried out a well-coordinated hit on the CellC store at Tiffany’s shopping centre in Salt Rock.

According to the store manager, who did not wish to be named, shortly before 5am two vehicles, a Mercedes C-Class and a VW Polo, entered the parking lot of the shopping centre and reversed into parking bays on either side of the stairs leading up to the CellC store.

Seven men can be seen on security footage proceeding up the stairs while one remains below as a lookout – acting casually and holding a firearm underneath his jacket.

The men then pried open the front doors with a crowbar and entered the shop, breaking open the inside door to the back room in a similar fashion to gain access to the safe.

During the robbery one of the centre’s security guards apparently realised what was going on and alerted emergency response services.

The seven men inside the shop were still attempting to break open the safe when a Alpha Security and Patrols’ vehicle arrived.

As soon as the patrol car drove into the parking lot the lookout opened fire, shooting twice forcing the car back – simultaneously alerting the other criminals.

The gang promptly left the store, piled into their cars and fled at high speed.

Rex Hunt of Alpha Security and Patrols told The Courier “they were in and out in about 4 minutes.”

The criminals escaped with several demo cellphones and a laptop but were fortunately unable to gain access to the store’s safe.

Six weeks ago one security officer was killed and another was injured during an armed robbery at Mangwanani African Spa in the Ballito CBD.

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