"Eish": SA Taken Aback by Cellphone Store Robbery Caught on Camera in Pretoria

• A foreign-owned cellphone business in Laudium was recently the target of lowly criminals out to make a quick buck
• Three men were seen arriving at a shop in the area before holding the shopowners up at gun-point
• CCTV footage capturing the entire incident was shared by Yusuf Abramjee and has gone viral online

A gang of brazen thugs allegedly struck a cellphone shop belonging to foreign nationals in the suburb of Laudium in Pretoria, with the entire incident being recorded on CCTV.

Popular Twitter user and anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee shared two videos capturing the chilling incident. The footage starts by showing the hive of activity outside the store before the robbers enter and hold up a group of about nine men inside the store.

Here, people can be seen milling about before one of the suspects enters the frame kitted out in black attire, a cap and a large carry bag in tow.

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To divert the attention away from himself, the man pretends to be on his phone while at least two of his accomplices, who appear on camera coming from different directions, get into position before pouncing on the unsuspecting victims.

"Cellphone store robbery: Laudium Pretoria," read the chilling caption.

Shopowners bundled up inside

The men are then seen entering the store in quick succession. At one point, another man, upon noticing that something was off as he was walking into the store, attempted to turn back and flee but is violently shoved back in as the group carry out their robbery plan.

The second video, taken inside, shows how the incident unravels as the terrified shop owners are compelled into submission by one of the gun-wielding assailants. One of the suspects then jumps over the counter before offloading items into the large carry bag the thugs brought to the scene.

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Within seconds, the robbers complete their clean-up and are seen rushing out of the store and into the night. The two clips capturing the traumatising event were viewed nearly 40 000 times combined.

Saffas take a dig at robbers

As expected, locals on social media reacted to the scenes in horror. Many lamented the act while others directed a barrage of criticism at foreign-owned shops for the quality of gadgets sold, with some even making the bold assertion they are trading stolen goods.

Briefly News undertook the task of going down all the comments to bring readers all the notable reactions.

@SAfirstAML wrote:

"Lol, what they running for?"

@MveshezaJr said:

"Most economists and LawMakers knows that people need sustainable jobs. Look at Iceland, crime is at its lowest. People are working and the economy is fine. Lastly, you can’t knock off from a paying job and go do crime. The chances are very small."

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@KasiTherapist added:

"I didn’t mean to laugh but the last part killed me. The way they ran away."

Couple robbed in driveway of their own home

Elsewhere, a couple is lamenting the recent harrowing ordeal they endured when two armed men robbed them in broad daylight in the driveway of their own home.

Briefly News reported the incident happened in an area of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, according to information from Abramjee, after he shared a video capturing the chilling incident.

The caption read:

Robbery: Arundel Road Bellair/Malvern area Durban."

In the clip, which has garnered close to 14 000 views, a car is seen reversing into the garage of a house in the eThekwini suburb. Once it comes to a stop, a vehicle that appears to be a grey VW Polo is seen coming down a turn on the road before stopping at the remote-controlled gate.

Source: Briefly News