A screenshot of the video circulating of the robbery in the butchery in Malvern
Image: Screenshot
The “Hugging Gang," which pickpockets unsuspecting people while hugging them, has targeted residents in Malvern and Chatsworth, with two incidents captured on CCTV footage.
A Malvern pensioner was the latest victim. A man pickpocketed his cellphone outside a butchery on Sunday.
Last week, the gang struck at a food outlet in Chatsworth. A customer, accompanied by his young son, was robbed of his cellphone.
Kevin Pillay, the chairperson of the Malvern Community Policing Forum (CPF), said that during the robbery of the pensioner, one suspect committed the crime while another waited as the driver in the getaway vehicle.
“The modus operandi appears to be distraction or stealth theft. In this incident, the victim only realised he had been robbed after returning home. The suspect will speak to you jovially, then attempt to hug you, placing his hand on you and removing your phone during the action,” he said.
Pillay said other incidents occurred where residents were robbed in the parking lots of popular food outlets in the Malvern policing area, but insufficient statistics exist because those incidents were not reported.
“In the butchery robbery, the victim also did not file a case. There is no report at Malvern SAPS. The issue is that residents who are victims of these crimes choose not to report them.
“We are warning residents to be wary. There are other incidents that have occurred in the parking lot and in some popular food outlets. This is concerning, as this area will become a hotspot for these types of crimes if the cases are not reported."
He urged residents and visitors to remain alert when shopping in busy areas, and to keep their valuables secured and out of sight.
“They should avoid placing wallets or phones in back pockets, and be cautious of distractions in public spaces. Anyone who has been a victim of this type of crime should report all incidents to the police immediately, even if they only discover later that they were robbed. This will assist investigations and crime pattern tracking. Businesses should do more to protect their customers.'
In Chatsworth, a man ordering food with his son fell victim to the gang.
CCTV footage released after the incident to raise awareness showed the man entering the store with his son. Two men then approached him in a friendly manner.
The footage shows one of the men approaching the child, while the other walks towards the counter. The man then approached the child’s father, and while being friendly, he allegedly pickpocketed him.
The gang is also operating in the northern suburbs.
Prem Balram, the head of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), said they receive between 10 and 12 cases each month where unsuspecting people are robbed using the same modus operandi.
“The gang's modus operandi is to approach their victims under the guise of friendship, hugging them and stepping on their feet as a distraction before discreetly removing their cellphones from their pockets. The suspects are believed to be linked to a spate of pickpocketing incidents.
“This gang is operating at busy locations such as service stations, convenience stores and shops. The suspects leave quickly, before the victims realise their phones have been stolen,” Balram said.