The notorious “hammer gang” has struck six jewellery stores in KwaZulu-Natal in two weeks.
At least five gang members‚ one armed with a pistol and four others‚ break into the store with hammers grabbing whatever they can before making their escape in a getaway car.
These are the stores from which millions of rand if jewellery was taken:
Sunday‚ January 15 - 9am at the NWJ store in Musgrave. Patrons breakfasting at the nearby Kuaui and Circus Circus had to take cover as the gang wreaked havoc in the store
Friday‚ January 13 - The gang robbed the NWJ Jewellers inside the Sanlam Centre Shopping Centre in Empangeni of an undisclosed amount of jewellery at about 10am.
Tuesday‚ January 10 - Gang members smashed their way into Watches Unlimited in La Lucia Mall on Tuesday morning.
Monday‚ January 9 - Armed with crow bars and hammers the robbers smashed into Cajee‚ in Gateway in Durban on Monday evening.
Sunday‚ January 8 - Just less than 24 hours earlier‚ the gang smashed their way through the Osiniq Jewels at the Hilton Hotel in Durban where they stole jewellery worth R2-million.
Monday‚ January 2 - The gang robbed a jewellery store in Matthews Meyiwa Road in Greyville escaping with a loot of rings ‚ chains and earrings.
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