There was panic in the city on Monday as armed skelms hit TWO popular malls in quick succession.
Clothing store Foschini at Kenilworth Centre [KC] was robbed at 11am and at about 2.30pm, Kamaldien Jewellers at larney Cavendish Square mall was also hit.
Four suspects are still on the run after carrying out the brazen robbery at Foschini.
The skelms, who were armed with guns and hammers, stormed into the clothing store just after 11am and smashed the glass displays where cellphones were being kept.
Foschini cellphone display. Pictures supplied
Cops say the men fled in a silver Chevrolet SUV with false number plates.
They took an undisclosed amount of money, cellphones and jewellery.
Images of the damaged shop went viral on social media showing the shattered glass of the empty cellphone cabinets.
Shocked staff, who work at retail stores in the mall, say they were left shaken by the incident: “They were four men and they took cellphones and money and other stuff. It’s Eid and they chose a very sad day to rob these people,” one staff
member said.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut, told the Daily Voice: “The robbery that you are referring to is under investigation.
“This morning at 11.10am, armed suspects held up the staff of a clothing store in a Kenilworth mall at gunpoint and fled with jewellery, cellphones and cash.
“They fled with a silver Chevrolet SUV with false number plates and are yet to be arrested.”
Kamaldien Jewellers in Cavendish Square. Picture supplied
Police say daring skelms then targeted Kamaldien Jewellers in Cavendish Square in Claremont three and half hours later.
The skelms fled with jewellery worth thousands of rand.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Andre Traut,
confirms: “This office can confirm that a robbery was also perpetrated at a jewellery store in Claremont [Monday] afternoon at 2.30pm.
“The suspects fled with jewellery and are yet to be arrested.”
Police could not say, however, if the two
robberies, which occurred in neighbouring areas, are linked.
genevieve.serra@inl.co.za