A DURBAN man, 27, who robbed a store he worked at using a toy gun is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
According to police, the robbery took place on Monday just after 10am at a shopping centre in Brighton Beach.
“It is alleged a store manager and his colleagues were performing their duties in a clothing store when an armed man accosted them.
“At gunpoint the suspect instructed the manager to open the safe. He took an undisclosed amount of cash, cellphones and walked out like nothing had happened,” said police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele.
She said Brighton Beach police together with security guards who were in the vicinity were immediately alerted and an operation was put in place to trace the suspect.
“The team spotted a man fitting the suspect’s description and searched him.”
Mbele said he was found in possession of cash stolen from the shop and a toy gun used to commit the offence.
“The investigation revealed that the suspect is employed by the same store but at another branch.”
The man will appear at the Durban Magistrate’s Court charged with robbery.
In a separate incident, two bogus customers held up a business owner in Tara Road, Wentworth.
“The complainant alleged three men who posed as customers approached him. They requested the complainant to repair their cellphones and the complainant demanded payment. One of the suspects drew his firearm, stole cellphones and fled the scene on foot,” said Mbele.
She said police were informed and the suspects were arrested not far from the crime scene.
The arrested suspects were found in possession of the stolen cellphones.
She said police were searching for the third suspect.
The Acting KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Major General Thulani Gonya, welcomed the arrest of the suspects. “The suspects thought they could get away with breaking the law not knowing the police were out in full force conducting crime prevention duties. We appreciate the commitment shown by various security companies in fighting crime in the province,” he said. | IOL