Cape Town - The hawks are homing in on thieves who use commercial explosives to blast open safest at businesses after a police warning about the bombings becoming a trend.
Business owners have been warned to urgently beef up their security and safety measures.
“Criminals are using commercial explosives to gain access to cash kept in safest and drop safest. This is a cause for concern and we urgently need to limit opportunities in this regard,” police spokesman Andre Traut said.
“The investigation of incidents where explosives have been used has been prioritised. The Hawks will be focusing on all possibilities as well as on suspects who had previously been involved in ATM bombings due to the similarities.”
The most recent incident, at an animal clinic in Durbanville on Thursday, was the third business bombing in Cape Town in the last four months.
“Police were alerted to an incident whereby a drop safe was blown out in the Animal Clinic in Durbanville. There was extensive damage to the animal clinic and no injuries were reported,” Traut said
“A case of malicious damage to property is open for investigation.”
On November 20, a drop safe at Baby City in Parklands was bombed at 3am. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken.
On September 4, explosives were set off outside a Woolworths branch and a car dealership in Athlone.
Last month, police refused to say whether the explosives used in all the incidents were the same.
On Friday, however, Traut confirmed: “During the last month a number of cases where criminals are using commercial explosives have been recorded in the province. Analysis shows these crimes happen in the early hours of the morning.
“Police would like to alert businesses to this modus operandi and encourage owners to increase safety measures such as alarm systems, closed-circuit surveillance cameras and armed responses, and to check security systems frequently to ensure proper function.”
Traut said keeping large sums of cash on-site was strongly discouraged.
The police’s annual report has shown that components of commercial explosives used in these crimes originate from the mining sector.
carlo.petersen@inl.co.za
Cape Times
Business owners have been warned to urgently beef up their security and safety measures.
“Criminals are using commercial explosives to gain access to cash kept in safest and drop safest. This is a cause for concern and we urgently need to limit opportunities in this regard,” police spokesman Andre Traut said.
“The investigation of incidents where explosives have been used has been prioritised. The Hawks will be focusing on all possibilities as well as on suspects who had previously been involved in ATM bombings due to the similarities.”
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| Commercial explosives used to open safes |
“Police were alerted to an incident whereby a drop safe was blown out in the Animal Clinic in Durbanville. There was extensive damage to the animal clinic and no injuries were reported,” Traut said
“A case of malicious damage to property is open for investigation.”
On November 20, a drop safe at Baby City in Parklands was bombed at 3am. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken.
On September 4, explosives were set off outside a Woolworths branch and a car dealership in Athlone.
Last month, police refused to say whether the explosives used in all the incidents were the same.
On Friday, however, Traut confirmed: “During the last month a number of cases where criminals are using commercial explosives have been recorded in the province. Analysis shows these crimes happen in the early hours of the morning.
“Police would like to alert businesses to this modus operandi and encourage owners to increase safety measures such as alarm systems, closed-circuit surveillance cameras and armed responses, and to check security systems frequently to ensure proper function.”
Traut said keeping large sums of cash on-site was strongly discouraged.
The police’s annual report has shown that components of commercial explosives used in these crimes originate from the mining sector.
carlo.petersen@inl.co.za
Cape Times
