Spate of city shop robberies
DURBAN businesses and shopping centres will have to increase their security for the festive season in anticipation of a spike in criminal activity. Four robberies took place this week, criminals making off with a substantial amount of money and goods.
Yesterday four men robbed Watches Unlimited in La Lucia Mall of about 50 luxury brand watches with an estimated value of R1 million.
Watches Unlimited manager Khalil Moosa said the robbery was quick but left the staff of four, and five customers including two children who were on the scene, traumatised.
“Four guys came in, told us to lie down and threatened to shoot us if we did otherwise. While two focused on keeping us lying down, the other two smashed one locked cabinet open which contained the watches,” said Moosa.
Owner Bryan Maehler said he was relieved that there were no injuries.
On Wednesday night Debonair’s Pizza and on Friday Abba Moosa’s Hardware, just metres apart in Sparks Road, Overport, were robbed.
At Debonair’s robbers took R20 000 and a waitress suffered minor injuries.
Three of the four robbers were arrested the same night, though the money was not recovered.
At Abba Moosa’s Hardware, robbers took an undetermined amount of money from the tills but no injuries were sustained.
A jewellery store at City View, in Greyville, was also robbed.