Johannesburg - It took just over 90 seconds for a gang of armed men to break into a car dealership, overpower a security guard and steal a vehicle.
In CCTV footage that has since been posted on YouTube by the SA Crime Watch Forum, the gang are seen arriving at a Ford dealership in Krugersdorp in a silver Audi at 20:22:57 on Monday.
Two of them jump out of the vehicle while their accomplices park behind the boom gates.
One of the armed men creeps under the boom and storms the security guard in his station, while one of the robbers follows him.
As the pair confront the guard, another thug is seen reversing the Audi they had arrived in back into the street.
One of the men comes out of the guard station and walks towards the dealership, while the other man keeps watch over the guard.
A white Ford Transit is then seen driving from the direction where the other armed men were, towards the boom gates.
The Audi then drives back to the dealership’s entrance while one of the men orders the guard to open the boom gates for the Transit, allowing the gunmen to escape.
As the Transit drives off, the other armed men follow behind in the Audi, disappearing into the darkness.
The camera footage shows the men making their getaway at 20:24:31, after they were recorded entering the dealership.
None of the men’s faces are visible in the footage as the incident is recorded on a camera that was some distance from the gates.
Crime-fighting organisation eBlockwatch founder André Snyman told The Star that the swift manner in which the robbery was executed had left him shocked.
“In South Africa, thieves are able to arrive at a premises, hold a security guard at gunpoint, find the keys to a vehicle and then steal it within 90 seconds,” he pointed out.
Due to the ease with which the robbery was executed, Snyman is convinced it was an inside job.
“It’s not a random robbery; it was probably planned with the help of someone from the inside,” Snyman said.
Police spokeswoman Sergeant Tshepiso Mashale said no one had been arrested in connection with the robbery and that the Transit was still missing.
The Star