Plague of fuel station robberies

Durban - Despite at least 16 robberies at Durban petrol stations and their convenience stores over the past seven weeks, no arrests have yet been made, leaving owners and staff - as well as customers - jittery.

The latest robbery took place on Saturday at a petrol station in Solomon Mahlangu (Edwin Swales VC) Drive.

The robbers, believed to be the same ones responsible for a string of other brazen robberies, made off with thousands of rand. At other stations, they had also taken cigarettes and condoms.

“Every (fuel) dealer has been more vigilant, expecting to be the next hit. Staff are tense when working the night shift,” said Richard Critchlow, chairman of the Regional Advisory Council for Engen Petroleum Dealers.

He said the spate of robberies was worrying, especially since no one had yet been caught.

“Every robbery is less than three minutes; panic buttons are pushed, police and reaction force arrive; the gang (members) are so casual and slow on foot; it’s odd they have not been caught,” he said.

However, police spokesman, Colonel Jay Naicker, said petrol station robberies were in the minority compared to other crimes, because of the presence of security cameras and guards, as well as customers and staff.

Asked if the investigation into the spate of robberies had been escalated to a specialised unit, Naicker said all business robberies, including robberies at formal and informal businesses, were investigated by the police precinct in which they occured.

On Friday at about 9pm two armed men had walked into the convenience store of a petrol station in Westville. Naicker said the suspects robbed a cashier of an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing on foot.

One of the robbers was wearing blue overalls and both wore big sun hats.

In CCTV footage of other robberies, blue overalls and sun hats had also been used.

But, last Monday, the five men who robbed the Sasol garage in Isipingo made no effort to hide their faces.

Owner NS Jamadar told the Daily News on Sunday that only one had attempted to hide his face by pulling the hood of his jacket low on his brow. “He is the one who came in with a gun in his hand. They told everyone to lie down and one of them held a customer by the waist and stole his gun.”

Walking around to the cashier side of the till, the men helped themselves to the cash in the register. “One of them went into my office and saw the CCTV; he rushed out and they immediately left,” Jamadar said.

Critchlow said the “ease” with which this gang got away with thousands of rand would encourage others to target them.

Two weeks ago, the Caltex garage in Pinetown had been robbed using an explosive at the drop safe there.

Two weeks before that, intruders had cut the roof to get in.

“A call at night or beep on my phone is scary as my first reaction is has my shop been hit or a fellow dealer. My concern is for the safety of the customers and staff, plus we cannot afford to lose business,” said Critchlow.

“Convenience shops are tough already without this crime wave which seems out of control.”

Recent incidences:

Aug 29: Petrol station, Sea Cow Lake

Sept 8: Engen, 45th Cutting

Sept 11: Shell, Overport

Sept 12: Engen, Kloof

Sept 15: Engen, Warwick Avenue

Sept 16: Engen, Stamford Hill Road

Sept 18: Caltex, Rossburgh

Sept 19: Petrol station, Springfield

Oct 7: Caltex Caversham drop safe bombed two weeks after a burglary

Oct 7: Petrol station, Sherwood