The Honeydew police are encouraging petrol station owners and their customers to be more vigilant after a petrol station was robbed on the corner of President Fouche and Malibongwe Drive.
According to Honeydew police spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan, the incident occurred in the early hours of 6 November.
The complainant said two armed men entered the petrol station shop and pretended to be customers.
The suspects then turned on the staff demanding money from the till and safe. The suspects also took a large number of cigarettes and car oil.
Muthan said, “The suspects made away with R1 000 taken from the two tills, and approximately R4 000 in total. They drove away in a white Chevrolet bakkie with an unknown registration.”
He added that no shots were fired and no injuries were sustained, and the matter is still under investigation.
“We have noticed that incidents like this are on the increase, especially at this time of the year. Garages are being hit sporadically in various places. We need owners of petrol stations and other businesses to be aware of this and increase their vigilance.”
Muthan offered the following advice to business owners and individuals:
Tips for individuals
- Try carry as little cash on you as possible
- Familiarise yourself with cellphone and Internet banking
- When paying accounts, consider using lower risk payment options such as debit orders and electronic funds transfer instead of withdrawing large sums of money.
Tips for businesses
- Make sure that your security system is operational regularly
- Make sure that cameras are strategically placed and are permanently recording
- Staff need to be trained in how to behave during an incident of crime
- Never carry more than R1 000 at any given time
- Businesses that need to deposit money regularly must alternate the days and times they do this
- Be discreet with your banking methods, details and routines
- Whoever is depositing the money should not make the money visible, even when they are inside the bank
- Avoid carrying money bags, briefcases or openly displaying your deposit receipt book
- Use more than one bank branch, if possible
- If the amount of cash you are regularly depositing is increasing as your business grows, consider using the services of a cash management company
- Consider electronic transfers of wages to your contract or casual labourers and help your staff open bank accounts
- Refrain from driving to the bank in your company branded vehicle on a typical payday.
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