A store worker was injured and taken to hospital for treatment after six armed robbers attempted to rob a jewellery shop at the Somerset Mall on Sunday morning.
Wiedaad Adams, Somerset Mall’s marketing manager, said that at 10.17am the armed skelms stormed the mall and held five security guards hostage.
The men smashed the window of the Van Deijl Jewellers store with a hammer, which immediately activated the security shutters.
However, the diewe, who did not fire any shots, left empty-handed.
TARGET: Somerset Mall
Adams said upon their exit, the robbers entered a sunglasses store and stole several sunglasses.
A staff member sustained an injury and was taken to hospital.
“The security of our customers and tenants is a priority for us.
"We continue to work closely with the partners and stakeholders within the security cluster as well as law enforcement authorities to ensure the safety of customers and tenants,” Adams said.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the circumstances surrounding the robbery and the attempted business robbery were under investigation, and no arrests have been made.
Malcolm Stephens, Fidelity Security Group Executive New Business Development, said the golden rule if you ever are caught in the middle of a heist, is to stay calm.
He said customers need to remain vigilant and should be on the lookout for any suspicious
activity.
“Whether you were in the store being robbed, or just witnessed the incident in the centre, you should seek counselling, regardless of how you might feel,” he says.
“It often takes some time to experience and deal with the post-traumatic stress following such robberies.”
Cape Argus