Durban – Robbers have struck another pension payout point in KwaMashu, Durban, using industrial grade explosives to gain access to the cash machine.A security guard on duty at the Boxer Store at Newtown in KwaMashu was accosted by a gang of gunmen, who forced him to unlock a security gate.
Police spokesperson Major Thulani Zwane said the man was prevented from pressing his panic button, which would have alerted other armed security guards to the heist.
“He was approached by five suspects who held him at gunpoint. They instructed him to open the gate and not to press the panic button and they then went inside. He then heard a huge explosion coming inside the shop,” Zwane said.
“The suspects fled with a cellphone and an undisclosed amount of cash. A case of malicious damage to property was opened and no arrests have been made,” he said.
A source with knowledge of the investigation, who could not be named, said the gang made off with hundreds of thousands of rands destined for pension pay-outs in the week to come.
The source said that the gunmen used an explosive gel to destroy the ATM and the cash vault within.
The attack bears a striking resemblance to three other orchestrated robberies at the same chain stores one month ago.
News24 reported that three pension payout points were hit by armed robbers within the space of 12 hours during the month end raids.
Police were probing the link between the three robberies, which have seen robbers make off with pension payout funds thought to be valued in the millions.
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