Trio of robbers strikes three times in a day

Security guard, Mellowwood Ngcongo (42) was held at gunpoint and tied up when five men targeted the Seaward Road premises he was protecting in the early hours of the morning.

Ngcongo recalling the incident, said: “At about 1.30am I heard dogs barking, so I went to see what was going on. I didn’t see anything. A few minutes later two gun wielding men approached me. They started hitting and told me not to look at them. I saw three more men join them. They tied me up using my boot laces and demanded the office keys. I told them I didn’t have them. A few minutes went by and I heard a noise which sounded like an an angle grinder.”

“They must have broken into the offices. I tried to look up to see what was happening, but one of the men pointed a gun in my face and told me not to look up. They emptied my bag and took my cellphone. I peeked over to where the other men were and I saw them rolling two truck tyres and the others were carrying backpacks. I couldn’t make out what was in them.”

After about 30 minutes, Ngcongo dragged himself to the gate to try and call for help. He whistled and screamed for someone to help me. A man, who lives outside a building across the road heard him. He jumped over the fence to free him. Ngcongo then made contact with the control room via a two-way radio and help was dispatched.

“The robbery has left me fearful, I have not returned to work since then. My hands are also injured.”

In a separate incident, three armed men stormed a liquor store in South Coast Road, Clairwood. They made off with an undisclosed amount of money, a laptop, two cellphones and an assortment of liquor.

Three armed men were also responsible for the theft of two vehicles at a car dealership in Mobeni. According to Montclair’s Lt Leopold Jojozi, the men entered via the gate near the washing bay where the cars were being washed. He said they demanded the keys of the two vehicles, before telling the staff to lay on their stomachs and fleeing. The vehicles had no registration plates as they were new vehicles. They have not been recovered and no arrests have been made.

Montclair SAP are investigating further.

– mbalim@dbn.caxton.co.za