Cape Town - A spate of armed robberies and burglaries at malls and small businesses this week is believed to have been carefully orchestrated and, according to a leading crime fighter, may be the work of a syndicate.
Police say arrests are imminent, and mall managers say they have stringent security measures in place to ensure people’s safety.
Andrew Anthony, chief executive of Businesses Against Crime, said the criminals had planned the robberies meticulously and had conducted surveillance of the premises beforehand.
He said the robberies were a double blow to the victims as not only were their profit margins affected, but they also lost out on trading at a crucial
time of the year as they had to close to allow the police to investigate
the crime scene.
Among the crimes that made headlines this week was a cash-in-transit heist where robbers pounced on two security guards about to load cash into an ATM at N1 City Mall in Goodwood. The men fled in a Mazda vehicle with an undisclosed amount of money. Their hijacked car was later found near Summer Greens.
In a separate case, two people attempted to rob a business at Vangate Mall.
Four armed robbers hit a bakery in Paarden Eiland before escaping in a white Mercedes-Benz with an undisclosed amount of money.
A jewellery store was targeted in Claremont on Tuesday night, with the robbers removing money and jewellery. A Gatesville shop was also held up this week but the owners did not report the incident.
Police spokesman André Traut said police had been deployed to shopping malls and crowded areas to boost safety during the festive season.
“We are hitting back hard at these crimes, and we are pleased to announce that headway is being made. In our investigation into the cash-in-transit robbery at a shopping mall in Goodwood, we have identified one of the robbers.
"Criminals who were under the impression that this festive season is a good time to enrich themselves must reconsider because we are ready to deal with any occurrence whatsoever,” said Traut.
Anthony said there was a seasonal spike in robberies and burglaries between November and January every year. However, the five robberies and burglaries were not the work of “opportunistic” criminals.
“The robberies and burglaries are well planned. The criminals checked out the place first before striking, with firearms and getaway cars. They rob shopping centres despite an increase of security personnel and police. This shows you that they are brazen.
“This trend is very worrying. Typically, these sort of crimes would wind down before Christmas. There is a responsibility for consumers to identify suspicious vehicles and report them to the shopping centre security, to make sure their cars are locked and not to wholly rely on alarm devices.
“Consumers need to be mindful of their belongings and ATM cards as fraud and theft is rife. People should also stop spreading false information. It causes more harm and induces panic,” he said.
Spokeswoman for the V&A Waterfront, Carla White, said: “It is a national trend that criminal activity escalates towards the end of the year. To this end, we step up measures well ahead of the festive season, work with tenants to minimise their own risk, and co-operate with the relevant authorities. Similarly, we appeal to visitors to take care of their personal belongings in order to thwart petty criminals.”
Vanessa Herbst, of Canal Walk, said extensive security measures were in place, including CCTV, 24-hour patrols by uniformed guards and undercover plain-clothed guards. “There is a tactical-response vehicle and increased security presence on-site.”
Western Cape banks have also been on high alert. Standard Bank told Weekend Argus it has rigorous security in place.
Spokesman Linstrom Ross said: “Standard Bank will continue to be proactive and engage with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that customers are safe. For obvious reasons, these measures cannot be disclosed.”
Nedbank said: “The bank deploys security measures on a risk-based approach and has implemented festive-season security plans.”