Footage of armed robbery goes viral

Published Oct 23, 2014

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Cape Town - CCTV footage showing five men robbing a jewellery shop in Franschhoek has gone viral on YouTube with more than 22 000 views, but no arrests have been made.

On October 2, employees of Tracey’s Diamonds were held at gunpoint by a group of robbers pretending to be customers.

The footage shows two men walking up to the shop, where there are three staff and no customers.

The men are dressed formally – one is wearing a black slim-fit suit, a white shirt and skinny tie. His accomplice is in a blue shirt and chino pants and has a bag over his shoulder. Both are wearing sunglasses and have shaven heads.

They are ushered in and shown around by a male sales assistant. The men examine the jewellery shown to them.

Then three men in shorts and jeans and carrying bags approach the shop. The assistants, clearly suspicious, refuse them entry through the doors that can be opened only from inside.

At this point one of the assistants tackles Suitman from behind.

Chinoman pulls out a firearm and points it at the other two assistants.

Suitman is released, and he opens the door for the men outside, who rush in. They fill their bags with jewellery and then flee.

It is understood they drove off in three vehicles.

Over the past few weeks there have been a spate of mall attacks.

The Franschhoek robbery was the sixth attack after those in Canal Walk and two V&A Waterfront robberies. Since then there have been another 10, including the one at Waterstone Village in Somerset West on Sunday and the Paarl Mall robberies on Monday, when staff arrived at the Vodacom, Incredible Connection and King Pie shops to find the premises had been looted.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut said robbers gained entry through the roof, making off with an undisclosed amount of goods.

Centre manager Faizah Berhadien said Paarl Mall had 24-hour security and all areas were monitored by CCTV.

Police have released pictures of four men linked to the Somerset Mall and Brackenfell Mall robberies. Two have been named as Zandisile Nelani and Siyabonga Gwangqa.

On September 21, a jewellery shop was robbed in Somerset Mall. A cellphone shop was robbed in Brackenfell on May 15.

Pictures of the robbers were obtained from surveillance cameras at the malls.

Traut said: “Two of the suspects have been identified and their photographs have been issued for publication as they are wanted on a charge of armed robbery.”

Traut said Nelani and Gwangqa were also wanted for an earlier robbery.

“They were released on bail following their arrest for an armed robbery… at a cellular telephone shop in Woodstock in March, and they failed to return to court.”

Anyone with information or who can identify the suspects should call Captain Charl Kinnear at 082 820 8015.

[email protected]

Cape Argus

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