Discerning tipplers hit liquor store

JUDGING by the quantity of booze they managed to snatch in just three minutes‚ three burglars could be nursing a massive hangover.

The trio’s brazen late-night raid – and penchant for 12-year-old Chivas Regal – at Liquor City in Paarl at the weekend was captured on CCTV.

The footage shows the balaclava-clad thieves make a beeline for shelves stocked with gift boxes of whisky with tumblers, and other bottles of expensive liquor.

Store owner Arno Joubert and his team had celebrated their one-year opening anniversary on Saturday.

But their spirits were dashed just hours later when they heard about the robbery. “They came in with two large tubs. “They were in and out twice as they filled the tubs with liquor.

“A mere 30 seconds after the robbers left‚ the armed response team arrived on the scene‚” he said.

The burglars broke through locked glass doors. But in their haste to cart away tubs packed with liquor‚ one of the thieves stumbled over his booty.

“They threw a huge stone at the glass door and that is how they were able to gain entry to the store.

“We suspect they had been in the store before because they knew exactly where to go. They were in and out of the store within three minutes,” Joubert said.

“They didn’t even bother with the tills‚ they went straight to the display.”

He said the expensive liquor had been put on display at the front of the store‚ some of it packaged as gifts with complimentary glasses.

Other brands taken included Glenlivet‚ Jameson‚ Bells‚ Klipdrift Gold and a 10-year-old Cognac.

Joubert estimated that about R50 000 worth of alcohol was stolen.

“Forensics will see if they can match DNA to previous crimes. A detective also came round to view the CCTV. [But] no arrests have been made.” – TimesLIVE