Suppiled
A Shoprite liquor store in Newtown Junction in Johannesburg has been burgled by thieves who tunnelled through a solid concrete floor to gain access.
In a statement on Monday, Shoprite said that the burglary was discovered on Friday when the manager entered the store and found a ‘large hole’ in the ground.
“She was returning to prepare for the store’s reopening under the easing to Level 3 lockdown conditions on 1 June,” the company said.
“With alcohol in high demand during the lockdown period, the store was secured from the outside throughout.”
“But, the suspects avoided the mall’s main entrance and instead used electrical and stormwater tunnels beneath the shopping centre to gain access to an area beneath the store,” Shoprite said.
“They then tunnelled through the solid concrete floor directly into the liquor shop to gain access undetected.”
Shoprite said it was not clear how the thieves knew where to tunnel, nor how long it took them to get through the thick concrete floor, but they returned a few times to steal a large amount of stock.
According to Oswald Meiring, the Shoprite Group's Loss Control Manager, the suspects were first recorded on CCTV cameras on 21 May, just 10 days before liquor sales were allowed.
“Footage from inside the store shows three suspects, although more may have remained in the tunnel to help move the large quantity of liquor stolen,” he said.
The thieves made off with whiskey, brandy, gin, cider, vodka, and beer to an estimated value of R300 000.
Shoprite is offering a reward of R50 000, subject to terms and conditions, for information which leads to a successful arrest.
