Guards held captive overnight in Mtubatuba court robbery
Undisclosed amount of money stolen but no dockets missing
THE KwaMsane SAPS are searching for three suspects following a business robbery at the Magistrate’s Court last week.
On the night of the incident, two security guards on duty at the court were held captive by three armed suspects wearing balaclavas.
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The ordeal reportedly lasted until the early hours of the following morning.
An undisclosed amount of money was reportedly stolen from the court’s cash office where explosives were apparently used to gain access to the safe.
The offices of the magistrate and the prosecutor were allegedly ransacked. However, the following morning it was reportedly discovered that no dockets had gone missing.
Held captive from around 8pm on Tuesday until 3am on Wednesday, the male guard was allegedly assaulted and, after the ordeal, was taken to the clinic and thereafter rushed to the hospital. No harm was reportedly inflicted on his female colleague.
Police were at the court on Wednesday morning to take fingerprints and proceedings were subsequently suspended for the day.
The proceedings, however, were expected to resume on Thursday.
Police spokesperson, Captain Sibusiso Mkhize said the guards were allegedly ordered at gunpoint to ‘lie down on the floor’ before the male guard’s money was taken.
Mkhize said a firearm which belongs to the security company was also taken from the guard.
“They tied their hands with a bag belt and demanded safe keys.
“They went outside and left them with one male who was monitoring them.
“After a while he heard the noise of breakingsomething in the other offices.
“The value of money was R1 340. One strongroom was broken and the other safe was broken on its side.
“Money that was taken from both safes was not mentioned at the time when the matter was reported,” Mkhize said and added that the police suspect that the motive behind the robbery was ‘self-enrichment’.
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