EMPANGENI police are on the lookout for three suspects who on Monday morning held up Empangeni Scrap and Gas before making off – on foot – with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Physically shaken up by the incident, office administrator at Empangeni Scrap and Gas, Sedonia van Wyk (32), told the Zululand Observer that she opened the electric gate for a man who she presumed was a potential customer.
‘This guy came in, he was short and wearing a red T-shirt.
‘He walked around as if he was going to buy something.
‘All of a sudden he produced a firearm from a lunch bag he was carrying and pointed it at me.’
Van Wyk’s natural instinct kicked in and she let off a high pitched scream, at which the suspect instructed her to keep quiet or he would shoot her.
‘He demanded that I open the till and give him the money.
PHOTO: Orrin Singh
‘As I was doing this he came behind the counter and started looking for the safe, when he found it he told me to open it as well.
Fearing for her life, Van Wyk handed over an undisclosed amount of money from the till as well as the safe.
‘He pushed me to the ground and started looking for another safe.
‘At this point two other guys walked in, one through the back door and the other through the front.
‘I told the guy with the gun that there was no other safe, so he gave up looking, took my cellphone and they all ran out.’
The three suspects fled through a greenbelt situated some 50 metres down the road.
Empangeni Scrap and Gas owner, Stephen Hickman, said that he was in the workshop at the back of the premises during the incident and that their cameras are currently undergoing repairs.
‘Our cameras have been offline but we are working on getting them fixed ASAP.’
He further told the Eyethu Bay Watch that this is the second incident at his workshop.
‘In 2015 we were victims of a cash-in-transit robbery where a number of guys held up the driver of a CIT vehicle outside our premises.’
Meanwhile Empangeni Police spokesperson, Captain Mbongeni Mdalose, confirmed the case of business robbery and appealed to the public for any information.
‘If any member of the public has knowledge of who these suspects are we appeal to them to come forth with information,’ he said.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Empangeni thieves crawl under security beams
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