DIS agents attacked, robbed
Pini Bothoko | Monday November 14, 2022 06:00
In the process the gang stole their phones with some belonging to the DIS. One of the DIS agents is said to have been in the company of his wife (a police officer) and children. The thugs allegedly attacked the couple when they were arriving home around 20.45pm. The couple was robbed at knifepoint and the DIS agent was dragged to the back of the house where he was badly battered.
Broadhurst Police Station Commander, Superintendent Obusitswe Lokae said they have launched manhunt to locate the suspects who are still at large. Lokae stated that on the fateful night, the suspects were driving a white Madza Demio car.
“Yes we are investigating an incident in which two security agents were attacked and robbed recently at their homes in Phakalane. On Friday around 20:45hrs we received the report from one of the agents’ wife who is a police officer at Mmathubudukwane Police Station and we rushed to the crime scene,” he said.
Lokae said when the officers arrived at home, it appeared a Madza Demio was following them. It parked at the back and the gang immediately pounced on the victims at knifepoint. He added that some of them dragged the husband to the back of the house where they assaulted him. Lokae said the rest were patrolling the whole house demanding cash, phones and other valuables.
“They stole valuables worth P16,000 and P1,800 cash in the presence of the victims' children. While escaping the crime scene, the criminals pounced on the victim’s neighbour who is also a member of the DIS. He was also arriving home and they went on to attack, assault and rob him too. They immobilised his car by stabbing the tyres with a knife and stole his phone worth P15,000 before escaping the crime scene,” he said.
Lokae further revealed that petty criminals are causing havoc in his policing area revealing to have recently recorded another incident in which criminals attacked and robbed a business undisclosed money when it was about to close.
“The criminals attacked the hardware when it was about to close, threatened them and snatched the whole cash register before escaping the crime scene with a blue Madza demio,” Lokae said.
Meanwhile, Lokae revealed that criminals are increasingly targeting isolated businesses in his policing area especially in Block 3 industrial area with the foreign business community being the most targeted.
He therefore, called on members of the business community to be vigilant at all times as criminals are gradually targeting businesses when they are about to close and after closure of business. Lokae said victims are threatened with objects that look like firearms.
“It looks like criminals have observed that the majority of the foreign business community has a tendency of staying behind after closure of the business. We have in the past recorded incidents in which criminals escorted them to ATMs to withdraw cash or forced them to transfer money,” Lokae said.
Lokae called on the public and the business community to be vigilant as the festive season is fast approaching and people are more than ever eager to make money to prepare for a Merry Christmas and welcome the New Year pockets loaded with cash.