Seven Cape Town businesses have been hit by brazen robbers in less than 72 hours.
In the latest incident on Monday afternoon, a jewellery store was robbed at Blue Route Mall, but the skelms didn’t get far.
The suspects entered Winhall & Stadler Jewellers and smashed the glass cabinets with a hammer, which they left behind at the scene, and stole jewellery.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana, says a vigilant cop, who was in the mall, saw the robbery sprang into action.
“He gave chase, shots were fired with no injuries reported.”
The robbers fled but crashed their vehicle at Retreat Station. Picture supplied
She says the robbers fled but crashed their vehicle at Retreat Station.
“Two men, aged 24 and 28, were arrested.”
Meanwhile in the early hours of Saturday, two shops in Gatesville were robbed within 24 hours as daring boewe took advantage of a lack of security in the usually busy business district just off Klipfontein Road.
At Taz Boutique, the skelms broke locks on the front door and made off with the till and thousands of rands worth of stock.
The angry owner, who asked to remain anonymous, says they are devastated and staff have been left to clean up the mess.
Rwexana says a 40-year-old man was arrested for the break-in.
Taz Boutique was robbed on Saturday. Picture supplied
A few hours later, a sweet shop was also broken into but the owner says they are not opening a case as they fear the skelms might come back.
Then at about 4am on Monday, Yusrah Travel and Tours were broken into.
The robbers cut the alarm system wires and broke open the security gate.
They removed the glass panel from the door frame and stole computers, appliances and the petty cash.
No arrests were made.
Taz Boutique in Gatesville was hit. Picture supplied
Meanwhile at Westgate Mall in Mitchells Plain on Saturday morning, five armed skelms slat a lekke pak as they smashed through several cell phone display cabinets to get to cell phones and cash in the Markham Store.
Staff and customers were allegedly gun pointed and forced to stand aside as three of the men, who were armed with hammers and axes, smashed through the display casings and collected cell phones of an undisclosed amount before running out of the shop.
The men ran out of the mall and jumped into a silver Kia and sped off. It is reported that the Sports Scene was also robbed by the same group of men and they had taken the same items, also making off with an undisclosed amount of cell phones and cash.
Last week Monday, robbers carried out a daring heist at Foschini store in Kenilworth at 11am and four hours later, they hit, Kamaldien Jewellers at Cavendish Square, fleeing with an undisclosed amount of money, cellphones and jewellery.
Police are not trying to establish whether the mall robberies are connected.