Armed suspects allegedly use hammer to smash glass screen and rob post office
|Published
Durban — Police are investigating a business robbery after a gang of armed suspects robbed the Mobeni Post Office on Monday morning.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala, said a case of business robbery is being investigated by Montclair SAPS.
“It is alleged that on February 5, 2024, four unknown armed men entered the business premises on Grimsby Road in Mobeni,” Gwala said.
“A glass counter was allegedly broken with a hammer and two suspects jumped inside where the staff was. The suspects took an undisclosed amount of money and fled the scene in their getaway vehicle.”
In a video clip shared on social media, a man can be heard saying that the pension payout at Mobeni Post Office was robbed.
“Four armed guys in a silver Polo hatch sedan, ND 163 427, they robbed us, please assist, please assist, Mobeni Post Office,” the man said.
“Staff is traumatised.”
In the video, counter 2 at the post office appeared to have been smashed. On the floor were coins that were left behind during the robbery.
According to information received by the Daily News, the incident happened at around 8am.
Additionally, the SA Social Security Agency’s grant payment for February reveals that Monday, February 5, was meant for disability grant recipients.
Older person’s grants were paid on Friday, February 2, while children’s grants will be paid on Tuesday, February 6.
[REMINDER] Social grant payment dates for February 2024 @The_DSD @nda_rsa #SASSACARES pic.twitter.com/OhXSH5ItHy
— SASSA (@OfficialSASSA) January 31, 2024
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, police in Tonga traced and arrested two suspects, aged 26 and 39, at Naas in Nkomazi, shortly after a post office in Mangweni was robbed at around 7am on Friday morning, February 2. They also recovered a firearm, ammunition and other items.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said that one of the suspects is believed to be working as a paramedic.
Mdhluli said it is alleged that the suspects entered the post office and held the employees at gunpoint.
The suspects demanded cash from the employees who were tied up with cable ties and helped themselves to an undisclosed amount of cash from the safe and keys from the post office before fleeing in a VW Golf.
The suspects left the employees tied up. No one was reportedly injured during the incident.
He said that after learning of the incident, police were on high alert in search of the suspects.
“A concerned citizen spotted the VW Golf and alerted the police of its whereabouts. It was during this time that members cornered the two male suspects at Naas in Nkomazi,” Mdhluli said.
“Besides the seized firearm with about 10 live rounds of ammunition, the men and women in blue also recovered an undisclosed amount of cash suspected to have been stolen during the robbery.
“A uniform for paramedics, some keys, suspected to be from the post office, as well as cable ties suspected to have been part of the items used by the suspects during the robbery incident. were seized.”
Mdhluli said the firearm is believed to have been reported stolen at Mayflower during a house burglary in April 2023.
The firearm will be subjected to ballistic testing to determine any linkages to the commission of crime elsewhere.
As a result, police cannot rule out the possibility of adding more charges against the suspects as the investigation continues.
The suspects are expected to appear at the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court in Tonga on Monday, February 5, on charges of possession of suspected stolen properties, possession of an unlicensed firearm with ammunition. The two accused could also be charged for the reported business robbery case as well as the house burglary in which the firearm was stolen last year, Mdhluli added.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News