on air now
up next
Up Next
Magic Music Mix
on air now
up next
Up Next
Magic Music Mix
 

Burglars target Plett businesses


 
At least three businesses in the Plettenberg Bay industrial area were targeted at the weekend by burglars who struck when the premises were at their most vulnerable.

Otto Olivier from Plett Security said the criminals managed to turn the premises' electricity off, waited until the alarm systems' backup batteries were depleted and then forced their way inside.
"This has become a problem of late," Olivier said referring to the criminals' modus operandi.

Hi-Q in Hutchinson Street was one of the businesses targeted and although they were still waiting for local police officers to process the scene on Monday morning before they could take stock of what had been stolen - manager Willem Jansen said they had suffered big losses including vehicle batteries, the company bakkie and the tills.

Jansen said the criminals opened the electricity box outside the building, using bolt cutters before switching the electricity off.

When there is a power outage, the alarm system operates on a backup battery system. If the power is not restored for an extended period the batteries drain and the alarm system becomes inactive.

Jansen suspects that the criminals waited until this happened before they struck. "We don't know exactly when they entered the premises, but we suspect they pulled a bakkie up, loaded all the goods on and disappeared."

Henny Interior also reported a break-in attempt at the weekend. Staff said at about 9pm on Sunday the alarm was triggered and when they arrived they found a bolt cutter on the lock of the main door. Staff left it there to allow for finger prints to be done the next morning, but at 10.30pm the alarm was triggered again and when they arrived, the tool was no longer there. Their electricity had also been turned off.

Staff at JP Spares also in Hutchinson Street - a target of a similar crime about two weeks ago - said although they did not see any signs of a forced entry attempt, their electricity had also been switched off after the electricity box was cut open.

Olivier said the public should be on the lookout for suspected stolen goods, like vehicle batteries. "Phone the police if you think someone is trying to sell you stolen goods."