'Rover' gang hits six homes in four hours

The vehicle believed to be used by robbers to plunder Durban homes

The vehicle believed to be used by robbers to plunder Durban homes

Published Jan 21, 2018

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DURBAN: The luxury vehicle used by the “Range Rover Gang”, which terrorised families across Durban on Thursday, has been confirmed by police as having been stolen.

The armed gang is believed to have raided six homes in four hours, racing between Chatsworth, Westville, Reservoir Hills and Merebank in a silver-grey Range Rover, leaving a trail of ransacked homes.

Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said Durban Flying Squad members found the stolen Rover, which was carrying a Durban number plate, abandoned in Lamontville.

Preliminary investigations revealed that it had been stolen in Gauteng in August, Mbhele said.

A Westville resident was among several victims targeted by the gang of balaclava-clad men.

The resident, who asked not to be named was tied up before the robbers went in search of valuables at her home.

Garage door

Blue Security spokesperson Andreas Mathios said the gang broke into the home via the garage door and threatened to kill the woman before tying her up.

“The gang dismounted a television but left it behind. Instead, they fled with cash and a cellphone. Her domestic worker managed to alert the neighbours,” Mathios said.

The robbery was believed to be the gang’s fourth of the day.

Rodney Moodley, managing director at Inkosi Security, said the gang targeted a house in Umhlatuzana (Chatsworth), two houses in Westville and a property in Sydenham before ending their raid at a home in Merebank.

Moodley’s company responded to an incident at a client’s home in Westville where gang members had forced open a gate, grabbed household items and fled in quick time, using the same luxury vehicle.

Moodley believed the gang was backed up by more armed men in a white Golf.

“There were five or six men in the Range Rover, who were backed up by armed men in the Golf. From security footage, we gathered that the suspects from each vehicle constantly maintained contact over the phone,” he said.

CCTV footage of the gang in action, which surfaced on social media, showed five men exiting the Rover, forcing a gate open, before covering their faces and entering a property.

Mathios said his team was yet to establish why certain homes were targeted by the gang but advised residents to be mindful of who they interacted with.

“Criminals choose their targets ahead of time based on the information they may be getting from sources. Be wary about who you interact with,” he said.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE

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