Cape Town - A 65-year-old man was shot and killed by a gang of robbers during a multimillion-rand jewellery heist in Durbanville on Sunday night.
Bags containing luxury watches and other jewellery understood to be worth millions of rand were being transported, apparently from an auction at the Commodore Hotel at the V&A Waterfront to a private residence in Vierlanden, Durbanville, when the robbers, who were in three vehicles, struck.
Robbers from two of the vehicles fired at the vehicle transporting the jewellery, stole bags containing the valuables and fled the scene in a third vehicle, reportedly a black Toyota Camry, which was later found abandoned.
Members of the Vierlanden Security Forum said the dead man was from Kraaifontein. He had been shot in the head.
Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk the identity of the dead man was not yet being released.
Members of the Vierlanden Security Forum at the scene on Sunday night overheard the owner saying the value of the stolen jewels was R6 million.
Gareth Leybourne, operations manager for the forum, was one of the first to arrive on the scene after receiving reports of gunshots.
After speaking to the driver of the Quantum, which was transporting the jewellery, witnesses at the scene pieced together a version of events: “It appears as though one Mercedes Benz had been following the Quantum and another one was lying in wait at an intersection with Voortrekker Way, the road leading into Vierlanden. The waiting Mercedes crashed head on into the Quantum and the following vehicle blocked the Quantum in from behind,” he said.
Leybourne said both cars had been reported stolen from Gugulethu and Table View.
He said a 9mm casing had been found next to the body and it looked as though the victim might have been holding a handgun when he was shot, as his fist had been partly closed. He said the gun might have been removed by the robbers.
“The driver of the vehicle (who survived the attack) was in a state of shock last night, so it was difficult to get information from him. He did say that the robbers had been calm, well- trained and highly professional. He said they had been speaking a foreign language,” said Leybourne.
The Cape Argus could not locate the driver on Monday morning.
A woman who lived adjacent to where the robbery took place said she had heard two shots.
The Cape Argus established the identity and nearby address of the owner of the jewellery, but was told at the door by a woman that “no one would be commenting at this stage”. It is unclear whether the owner was the buyer or the seller of the jewellery at the Commodore Hotel auction.
Van Wyk said: “(The suspects) fled the scene with six big cases and four small cases filled with jewellery... Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stop on 8600 10111.”
Cape Argus