The police are investigating robbery cases that left the pockets of two businesses crippled in a space of 24 hours in eMalahleni.

According to the police, in the first incident that occurred on August 8, a man alleged that he went to withdraw money with his colleague at a local mall, only to be robbed shortly after.

The victim said when he returned from the mall, his colleague dropped him off inside their premises and drove off. He went in and dropped the pile of money at his other colleague’s desk to go and get a bag, but came rushing back as his colleague reportedly screamed for his name in a sudden panic, seeing two armed men approaching the office door.

The suspects robbed them of the cash and several gadgets and fled the scene, leaving the two locked inside the office.

In another incident that occurred the following day, the police said a man was on duty with other staff members when five men entered their store pretending to be customers.

He reported that one of the men came to him at the till and pushed him to the ground, while the others started pointing guns at the staff and customers who were inside, directing them to one side. The robbers reportedly fled with some cash and expensive alcohol, among other items.

Captain Eddie Hall, spokesperson for the Witbank SAPS strongly recommends tightening up security at businesses to prevent robbery.

“Maximise visibility both inside and outside the business to deter potential robbers, invest in security cameras, alarms, and access control systems and place them in strategic areas. Also, implement physical security measures like reinforced doors, window security film, and secure storage for valuables,” he said.

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