Robbers hit mall in '5-hour crime spree'

A police van is seen outside the Gugulethu Square Mall. File picture Courtney Africa/Indpendent Media

A police van is seen outside the Gugulethu Square Mall. File picture Courtney Africa/Indpendent Media

Published Jan 3, 2017

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Cape Town – Store owners at the Gugulethu Square Mall arrived at work on Sunday to broken windows and empty shelves, after a group of men allegedly robbed numerous shops in the mall.

The police on Monday said cases of robbery were under investigation.

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said that just after 1am on Saturday, armed suspects wearing balaclavas and gloves gained entry through the roof of a security control room, threatening security guards who were inside.

He said the suspects ordered other guards to come to the control room, where they were restrained. Shoprite Liquors, cellphone stores, three clothing stores and the ATMs of Capitec and FNB were reportedly robbed. Responding to a Facebook post about the incident, many Gugulethu residents vented. Lee-Ann Valetine wrote: “Surely control room would have sent a vehicle out if they didn’t call in for site check I mean, five hours? Way too fishy.”

Abduraheim Saliem posted: “Didn’t any store alarms go off in that five-hour crime spree?”

Two weeks ago, at least three business robberies were reported in different areas around Cape Town. Police spokeswoman Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed a cash-in-transit heist case had been opened for investigation following a robbery in Goodwood Shopping Mall.

Cape Argus

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