By Daily Voice Reporter
Cape Town - A Parow businessman says he and a friend were robbed by men posing as cops and SARS officials.
He said last Friday, 13 heavily armed men dressed in full police gear and South African Revenue Services uniforms rocked up at his friend’s posh Plattekloof house and robbed them of cash, jewellery and cellphones.
He said the robbers tortured his friend by pouring boiling water over him and also threatened to shoot and kidnap his three-year-old daughter.
Camera footage and pictures seen by the Daily Voice show a white two-door bakkie with SARS branding pulling up at the house.
At the gate, the men in the bakkie speak to the homeowner for a few minutes and about an hour later they returned with a police-branded Mercedes-Benz Vito and a blue BMW 3 Series sedan.
“They came at 5.30am and my friend told them he cannot open for them, they must come with the police,” says the businessman who asked not to be named.
“They were gone for about an hour and a police car pulled up with the SARS car and another car.”
The man, who was visiting his friend at the time, said they felt safer after seeing the “cops” and opened for the bogus SARS officials.
He said the men checked their IDs and ransacked the home.
“There were about 13 men. We were not scared because we believed that the police was there,” the man said.
He said his friend’s five children and his elderly parents were in the house at the time.
He said about half an hour later, he realised that something was off and he managed to sneak out and call the police.
“I told them that I was going out for a smoke and one of the men followed me and told me to go back into the house. They then pulled out guns and tied us up,” he said.
The man said his friend was tortured and the men poured boiling water over him.
“It was an ugly scene, they put a loaded gun to a child’s head threatening to shoot her if we did not obey their rules. They took huge amounts of money and jewellery which we have been collecting for years, and cellphones.”
The man said he was locked in the bathroom with the children while his friend and his elderly mother were tied up with tape over their mouths and kept in the living room.
The thieves searched the house, looking for the safe.
“They made it clear that they came for the money, they threatened to kidnap the three-year-old if they did not get the money.”
The man said they are now living in fear and even took their children out of school for fear of kidnapping.
“The SARS vehicle was found by the police with some of the money. It is hard to believe that this is happening and these people might be watching,” he added.
Police Mihlali Majikela confirmed the incident and says two suspects have been arrested so far.
A case of robbery has been opened and is under investigation.
Daily Voice