Cape Town - One of two men allegedly involved in a robbery at Cardies in Canal Walk went back to the mall to go shopping – and was arrested.
A fellow shopper recognised the 35-year-old as one of the robbers who tied up two members of staff at the Cardies gift shop and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and stock on October 16, police spokesman Tembinkosi Kinana said. “The police moved swiftly and arrested the suspect at about 4pm.”
Canal Walk spokeswoman Vanessa Herbst said the shopper alerted mall security, who apprehended the man and called the police.
Robbers have targeted more than 10 malls in the Cape Town region in the past two months.
Canal Walk had been targeted three times in the past month, Herbst said.
The centre has beefed up its security and guards are using hand-held metal detectors to carry out random searches.
After viewing CCTV footage, the police released images last week of suspects at the scene of robberies at malls in Somerset West and Brackenfell.
On September 21, seven men stole jewellery from a store in Somerset Mall and sped off in a white bakkie. Surveillance cameras captured two of the seven suspects. The gang had not yet been identified, said police spokesman Andre Traut.
On May 15, three men robbed an MTN cellphone store at the Fairbridge Mall in Brackenfell.
A total of 20 suspects had been arrested since April in connection with cellphone and jewellery store robberies, Traut said. He appealed to the public to come forward if they had any information relating to any of the robberies.
Information may be given to CrimeStop anonymously at 08600 10111, or SMS Crime Line at 32211.
Cape Times