A jewellery shop situated inside the Westwood shopping mall in Durban was robbed on Thursday morning, and the entire incident was caught on camera.
Watch: 10 masked robbers take down Westwood Mall jewellery shop
Eyewitnesses who filmed the gob-smacking scenes watched on in horror as a large group of men bomb-rushed into the jewellery shop, smashing protective glass casings and grabbing whatever they could.
For an entire minute, that seemed to drag on forever, the unidentified robbers took turns filling up bags with precious jewellery pieces, all while onlookers stood frozen nearby, recording the brazen heist.
Shortly after the suspects fled, a Westwood Mall security official was seen getting up from the floor of the jewellery store. Appearing panicked, the security guard ran out of the store and down the escalators, perhaps, to alert the mall’s management about the ordeal he endured.
Per IOL News, Durban police released a statement confirming the incident that took place at approximately 10:00. According to police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, a business robbery case docket has been opened, with authorities in search of at least 10 suspects.
While the value of the stolen items remains undisclosed, Constable Ngcobo confirmed the robbers made off with a considerable amount of precious stones, jewellery and a box containing vouchers.
The robbers used firearms to subdue the shop’s employees, as well as the mall’s security guard who may have been at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and without backup.
Authorities will rely on CCTV footage, which may have captured the robbers’ getaway vehicle and any other crucial identifiers, as well as eyewitness testimony to track down the suspects.
Here is video footage of the brazen daytime robbery of the Westwood Mall jewellery shop:
Jewellery store robbery: Westville, Durban. pic.twitter.com/cVzfCEDtiO
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) June 30, 2022
