On Tuesday a business centre at Newton West suburb was hit while a Caltex garage was hit on Wednesday morning. The Officer Commanding Criminal Investigations Department’s Homicide Section, Superintendent Patrick Majuta, confirmed the robberies but declined to give more details, saying the police were still gathering information. “Five gunmen pounced on Jocks Business Centre on Tuesday evening at about 6pm. They attacked security guards and force-marched them inside the shop where they forced the employees to surrender cash which amounted to R3 000,” said Majuta.
The armed robbers escaped in a getaway car. With the Caltex robbery, police sources said four armed men attacked the owner at about 11am. “They arrived at around 11am and attacked the owner together with the security guards,” said the source. They went on to steal from him 800 and SAR1 300 then got away in his car. “However, they dumped his vehicle a few metres away from the garage after the anti highjack system had been activated,” said a first hand account witness. Barely a week ago two armed robbers raided an Agribank branch in the Central Business District and got away with US$52 000 and R48 000.