Burglars target apartment units in City Bowl

A DISTURBING burglary trend is developing in upmarket suburbs with criminals breaking into several apartment units at a time in the city.

At least four blocks of flats have been targeted in less than a month in areas including Vredehoek and Gardens, which have become burglary hotspots.

Residents have been warned to be on alert and police have stepped up patrols in these neighbourhoods.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed several break-ins had been reported in Vredehoek and Oranjezicht.

“These cases are under investigation. We would like to appeal to residents to report suspicious behaviour to police immediately and make sure that automated access gates are closed after use.

“We have reason to believe that criminals gain access to premises when these gates are open,” he said.

The burglars drive upmarket cars so as not to raise suspicion in the areas they are targeting, and which are believed to have cloned number plates. The thieves also dress smartly. Community police forum chairwoman Nicola Jowell said it was suspected the burglars followed social media posts on their activities.

“They’re breaking into four units at a time. These guys have time to look through things.”

Jowell said the burglars often managed to get through the main entrances of complexes and blocks of flats without forcing their way in.

They achieve this by repeatedly ringing buzzers until an unsuspecting resident opened the main entrance point for them.

The robbers then forced their way into units, using crowbars and screwdrivers.

Flats were generally not fitted with alarms and the interiors could not always be seen from the road.

The burglars operated mainly when residents were at work.

Jowell said the burglars tended to steal flat screen televisions, laptops and jewellery. “These items have the highest resale value.” In one of the latest break-ins, a resident confronted a group of burglars in a Vredehoek block of flats last week, before locking herself in calling for help. The burglars managed to get away.

On the Facebook page, Vredehoek/Devil’s Peak Community, some apartment residents described their experiences involving burglars.

One resident said last Tuesday she had woken up at about 3am and heard footsteps in the living room. “When I heard a noise in the kitchen I went out, only to find a guy exiting from a very small square window at a two-storey drop. He is spiderman for getting in there.”