Armed gang flee with million rand worth of cellphones
Police were still searching for an armed gang that fled with a million rand worth of cellphones from a Vodacom shop at the Mall@Reds last week.
Police were still on the hunt for an armed gang that fled with a million rand worth of cellphones after they robbed a Vodacom shop at the Mall@Reds last week.
Spokesperson Captain Augustinah Selepe said the men entered the shop last Thursday morning disguised as staff, one wearing a Vodacom-branded T-shirt and jeans and the other in an LG-branded T-shirt.
Selepe said the men entered the shop as it was being opened with the rest of the staff just before 09:00. One was pushing a trolley.
The men ordered the staff at gunpoint into the staff room, where they instructed them to lie on the floor.
“They instructed staff to pack cellphones into bags. CCTV footage shows there were more than two people waiting outside the shop,” she said.
The men fled with three bags filled with cellphones valued at over a million rand. They fled in a blue Toyota Corolla and another unknown vehicle. Registration numbers are unknown at this stage, Selepe said.
“Police are scrutinising video footage.”
OrangeFox Security spokesperson Vanessa Jacobs said the robbers assaulted a security guard at the mall.
Store operations manager Joseph Willis said on Facebook he was thankful that all staff were fine.
“OrangeFox, SAPS (police) and specialised task forces responded quickly and are working together to lock down on such incidents. This is the first such case at our store since it was opened years ago and we will resume business as usual with a smile.”
The mall has been a target of armed robbers and thieves in recent months.
In January, a man and two women were arrested and taken to Wierdabrug police station after they were caught using a baby pram in an attempt to smuggle stolen shoes worth R5 000 from Woolworths.
The trio had a five-month-baby inside the pram whom they denied any knowledge of.
Early in January, a man was arrested for attempting to steal a woman’s cellphone at the mall from her handbag. The man was apprehended after the woman screamed.
Four people were still at large and one was arrested after an ADT officer was shot and wounded when an armed gang robbed a jewellery store. The stolen jewellery, however, was recovered.
OrangeFox general manager André Hills said the culprits had scouted the jewellery store minutes before it was robbed.
“An ADT officer was unfortunately caught in the cross-fire and was wounded in the arm but has since made a healthy recovery.”
A month prior to the shooting, five men robbed a Cell C store, holding a pregnant woman at gunpoint. The armed men fled with cellphones, airtime vouchers and other valuables.
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