Hunt is on for serial cellphone shop robbers (Video)
NORWOOD - Norwood police are on the manhunt for two serial cellphone shop robbers who were caught on CCTV footage robbing MTN and Cell C cellular shops in Melrose Arch and Norwood Mall respectively.
In the latest known incident, police stated that the two suspects were linked to a robbery that took place at the MTN cellular shop in Melrose Arch in March.
The suspects are also wanted for a previous robbery that took place at Norwood Mall earlier this year. Watch the CCTV footage of the suspects strolling out of the mall with the goods below:
Norwood police spokesperson Sergeant Nurse Sanyane said at the MTN shop, the two suspects entered the shop while the staff members were working and one suspect knocked at the counter with his gun.
A staff member said the suspect ordered the staff to go to the storeroom and they followed them and ordered them to kneel down and tied their hands and feet with cable ties.
Sanyane said, “One suspect with a gun forced one of the staff members to open the safe. The suspect fetched a bag which he loaded with an assortment of cellphones. Meanwhile, the other suspect was in the front desk informing the customers that their system was down.”
The staff member said when the suspects were done, they left the shop but the staff members remained in the storeroom until they heard customers speaking in the front desk. A staff member said he managed to reach a knife on the sink and cut-off the cable ties and freed the others. The suspects fled with R110 000 worth of cellphones. The staff member stated that he can identify one of the suspects.
The suspects were already wanted by police as they are linked to a robbery at a Cell C store and made off with cellphones worth R450 000 at Norwood Mall, on 24 January.
The armed men were caught on CCTV footage, casually walking out of the mall with bags filled with the stolen goods after they pretended to be customers.
The then Norwood police spokesperson Constable Nonzwakazi Tsoanyane said the complainant told the police that when a staff member went to assist them, one of the suspects pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the staff member. She said the suspect ordered the staff members to go to the office and forced them to lie on the floor.” She said the suspects took cellphones and fled the scene. Sanyane appealed for public assistance.
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