TOTT 25 October 2018

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October 25, 2018
Gun store robbers still at large
CRIMEBRIEFS
SCENE OF THE CRIME: Police and security personnel comb the scene at
the Gidana Arms and Sports store at the corner of Bank Lane and Pascoe
Crescent last Thursday for clues after the store was robbed of weapons
and ammunition
Picture: JON HOUZET
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29 Miles St, Port Alfred
PO Box 2871, Port Alfred, 6170
046 624 4356 / Fax: 046 624 2293
Mauneen Charter, mcharter@tisoblackstar.co.za
Sonja Raasch, sonjar@tisoblackstar.co.za
Anneli Hanstein, hansteina@tisoblackstar.co.za
Jon Houzet, houzetj@tisoblackstar.co.za
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ROB KNOWLES
Bank Lane in Port
Alfred, the main
arterial road
between the CBD and
Nemato, was closed off
last Thursday by police
and security companies
as SAPS investigated a
robbery at the Gidana
Arms and Sports store
on the corner of Bank
Lane and Pascoe
Crescent.
According to a police
report, the robbers
walked away with a
camouflage bag from
the store containing
shotguns, rifles and
handguns.
Municipal workers,
along with others, stood
waiting to hear what
had been stolen but
police remained
tight-lipped regarding
the incident. Shortly
thereafter, SAPS
spokeswoman Captain
Mali Govender issued a
st at e m e n t .
“At about 11am
[October 18] one male
suspect approached a
firearm dealer [Gidana
Arms and Sports] store
where the owner’s
daughter was alone. He
posed as a customer
wanting to purchase an
item of clothing and left
it on the counter. He
then walked outside and
came back with another
male who showed her a
firearm and she was
asked for the keys to the
s a fe .
“They took the keys
from the till and opened
the safe. They then took
a camo bag from the
store and put several
shotguns, rifles and
handguns inside. They
then left her in the
strong room and closed
it. They then left the
store on foot. The
victim’s cell phone was
taken. Different types of
ammunition were also
t a ke n , ” she said.
One of the suspects
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was short and estimated
to be in his 50s with a
fair complexion, dressed
in a white shirt, black
tie and formal pants as
well as a peak cap, and
the other slender and
tall with a dark
complexion, wearing a
black jersey, black track
pants and was
estimated to be in his
late 20’s.
The firearm was
carried by the neatly
dressed suspect.
“Two other assistants,
who were away from the
store, contacted the
owner and the police. A
case of aggravated
robbery is under
investigation. No shots
were fired and no one
was injured,” Govender
said.
Govender was
contacted for more
information this week
but was unable to
supply anything as she
said the case was being
handled by the
directorate of priority
crime investigation, also
known as the Hawks. At
this time the DPIC were
unable to answer
requests for more
i n fo r m at i o n .
Govender asked that,
anyone with information
on this crime contact
Crime Stop on
086-001-0111 or else, for
enquiries, contact her
on 082-779-7123. So far,
no arrests have been
made and no weapons
have been recovered.
A number of burglaries were reported by
MultiSecurity in Port Alfred over the past week.
On Tuesday October 16, there was a break-in at a
shop on Albany Road at around 7.30pm. The
following day, cattle were reported along Bathurst
Street at 10.14pm. The cattle were collected and
removed. Late on Wednesday and into the early
hours of Friday, there were several incidents
reported of barking dogs and suspicious people
walking the streets but no arrests were made.
At about 7.40am on Friday, there was a break-in
reported at a garage on Albany Road. On his arrival,
the manager reported the suspect had broken off
the padlocks on the wooden door by the workshop
at the back and stolen seven cases of dragon
energy drinks. At 7.49am, a beggar informed the
owner that the workshop door was open.
Still later, at 10.48am it was reported that two
suspicious youngsters in front of a shop across the
road were identified as those who had stolen items
from the garage shop.
Still on Albany Road, another attempted break-in
occurred at a cycle shop where a window was
broken and the burglar bars bent, but nothing was
stolen. In Coronation Street in Station Hill later that
night a man was seen wearing a balaclava in a
resident’s garden. Nothing suspicious was found at
the premises.
That evening there was an attempted break-in at
a home in Sevenoaks Street. Having failed to
break-in to the premises the perpetrator ran off onto
the golf course.At Dickenson Road at 10.26am
guests at a guest house reported they had been
robbed and their I-phones stolen. They were sitting
outside when a man approached and demanded
their cellphones. A scuffle broke out and the
perpetrator fled with the phones. Gardmed were
also called as one of the guests had been injured
but was treated at the premises.
Just after 11pm there was a break-in at cottages
on Freshwater Drive. The sliding door to one of the
cottages had been forced open and a TV was taken.
In the early hours of Sunday morning three
gunshots were reported at Burke Close. After
investigation security reported that nothing
suspicious had been found.
In Simbiti Street in Nemato at 10.39am there was
a break-in at a shop where a sports bag worth
R600, an extension lead priced at R200,an iron,
baby clothes and grocery were also taken.
On Tuesday there was a break-in at a shop in
Rosehill Mall. The mall manager reported there was
a list of contact people at his office to enable the
relevant contact person to be contacted. The
perpetrators had kicked in the front door but
nothing inside the shop was disturbed.