They came in the dark to raid Marina da Gama - and, like pirates of old, they came by boat.
Waterside homes in Marina da Gama are being targeted by thieves who gain access to the multi-million rand properties from the water by boat.
In the latest incident, in the early hours of Monday, the quiet of the usually tranquil settlement was shattered when a group of robbers paddling away with their loot were allegedly fired on by a resident.
Police say at least six houses have been broken into in the past two weeks by people using the area's waterways to gain access to houses. Most of the houses have gardens that slope down to the water and few have fences.
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Police spokesperson Superintendent Andrè Traut said they did not have a record of the shooting but residents report hearing gunfire.
The brazen thieves also steal boats and pedalos moored outside properties to transport their stolen loot.
Police are not sure where the thieves set off from, but a resident believes it could be the Zandvlei picnic site on the far side of the vlei. Traut said operations were being conducted in the area but, so far, no one had been arrested.
Jean von Witt, who lives in a waterfront townhouse at Bridge Island, part of Park Island, was awoken by her dogs at about 1.30am on Monday.
"When I came downstairs I noticed the door to the patio was wide open."
The thieves were gone and so were her digital camera, four antique cameras and her father's binoculars, which had great sentimental value.
"I feel traumatised and violated and I'm scared they'll be back," said Von Witt, who has lived in the area for seven years.
It wasn't the first time she has been targeted and last time thieves, who also came from the water, stole her computer.
In an e-mail sent out by Jan de Groote of the Marina da Gama Association this week, residents were warned to secure their boats and pedalos to make it more difficult for criminals. "Crime is up by 120% in parts of the Marina, and homes are being entered from the waterside," De Groote wrote.
Two years ago, electric fences were erected on the perimeter of Bridge Island following a spate of burglaries but now thieves are using the waterways, making it difficult for homeowners to protect their properties.
Jennifer Abrahams-Stroh, the joint chairperson of the Bridge Island Homeowners' Association, said robbers had been coming in from the water for some time.
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Argus on December 13, 2008
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