Letlhakane robbers employ new tricks

Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday July 31, 2018 15:16

 

Letlhakane police station commander, superintendent Michael Maphephu said they have recorded the second case under a month where a man was drawn out of the bar by a woman and was mugged by men in the cover of night. 

He said last Sunday four men who are still at large robbed a 29-year-old man in the same manner.

Maphephu said according to the man, he had met the woman briefly at a bar. After the bar closed, they agreed to walk together to spend a night at her house that was supposed to be nearby.

As they walked, four men pounced and demanded that he surrender his belongings to them. At the time the woman disappeared into darkness.

Maphephu said the victim had no cash at that point, but was in possession of his bankcard.

The thieves, he said, demanded the ATM pin number. He said they dragged the victim to the ATM machine and held him at knifepoint, while the other went to the machine and withdrew P3,000 from his account.

Afterwards, they escorted him back to where they took him from and took off.  The victim does not know the identity of the woman nor of the culprits. Maphephu said they suspect the incident could be linked to others of a similar modus operandi.

“These are new tricks that are emerging here. It is difficult to deal with these criminals when the victims can't even describe the woman who could be the lead. We believe these women have a part in the crime because they never turn up to the police or are never seen again,” he said, warning that the public should be wary of this developing trend.

“We are still investigating these cases, but we are warning members of the public to know who they deal with when out there having drinks.  It is dangerous to be walking at night and people should be wary not to be tricked, lest they fall prey to these criminals.”