A BRAZEN robber not only woke up the family he was robbing, but also tied them up while he ransacked the house. According to Lt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North SAPS, the incident occurred on South Beach Road in eMdloti at about 2.30am on Thursday (23 April).

“The home owner said all the doors and windows in the home were closed except for the sliding door, which was closed but not locked. The criminal was able to get into the house, and woke the man and his partner up, pointing a gun in their faces the whole time. The suspect demanded to know where the cash and valuables were. He then tied them up and ransacked their home,” he said.

This comes a week after the discovery of the modus operandi of a gang of armed robbers who had been terrorising tourists visiting eMdloti. According to a local resident, Gareth Nezar, they have successfully looted the units of 31 tourist families, striking in the early hours of the morning.

Nezar said the gang, consisting of three men aged 20 to 25, rely on the element of surprise and mostly target tourists who vacation in eMdloti. They strike primarily between 2am and 5am.

While Deokaran could not confirm whether the armed robbery was linked to the others, he urged residents and tourists to lock their doors and close all their windows to avoid falling victim to armed robbers.