Johannesburg – As the festive season is set to kick into high gear soon, the Gauteng police are looking to intensify their deployments around malls following recent jewellery store robberies.
Yesterday, the Oriental Plaza in Johannesburg Central was the scene of yet another brazen robbery of a jewellery store.
A SAPS statement reported that the suspects made their way out of the shopping centre with an undisclosed amount of jewellery.
“A shopping centre security officer as well as four shoppers sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital for medical attention,” read the statement.
The Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, has directed the District Commissioners in the province to ensure that their deployments are intensified in and around shopping centres.
“We will be launching our Operation Safer Festive Season this week. With this operation comes more boots on the ground, more high-density operations and high police visibility,” said Mawela.
Mawela said they should assert the authority of the State to ensure that they left no space for criminals to commit crimes during this period and beyond.
According to ER24, two men were on the pavement, each with a gunshot wound to the leg, while the security guard had a wound in his arm.
“The three patients were treated for their injuries and were provided with pain-relief medication before they were transported to nearby hospitals for further care,” said an ER24 statement.
On Sunday, The Menlyn Shopping Centre in Pretoria was also hit by jewellery robbers, where another security guard and civilian were shot.
SAPS said that three suspects, two men and a woman, entered the store demanding jewellery at gunpoint.
“One of the employees managed to press the panic button, and the suspects made away with only the jewellery that was on display.
On their way out, they noticed a security officer and started shooting at him. One shopper was caught in the crossfire and sustained a gunshot wound,” said a SAPS statement.
Last week, Rosebank Mall was evacuated because of a bomb scare, but police concluded a search of both centres and they were cleared.
The Star