Police in Gqeberha have again warned residents to be wary of criminals posing as police officers before robbing them in their homes.
Spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg says the latest incident happened in Marguerita Street in Lorraine on Tuesday afternoon.
She says two men, dressed in police uniforms, rang the 61-year-old complainant's bell at his gate and informed him that they were chasing after a suspect whom they saw jumping into his back yard.
The man allowed them access to his premises and one fake cop entered the house first, while the second followed after the complainant.
Captain Janse van Rensburg says once they were all inside the house the complainant and his 56-year-old wife were threatened with a firearm before being tied up.
She says by then, a third suspect, dressed in a tracksuit entered the property where they all ransacked the house.
The suspects fled in the complainant's Ford Ranger that was packed with their stolen goods including firearms, rifles, ammunition, Rolex watches, jewellery and phones valued at half a million rand.
Captain Janse van Rensburg says the vehicle was recovered in New Brighton later in the day.
She says when the suspects noticed police they jumped out of the vehicle and ran away.
None of the stolen goods was recovered.
Police are still investigating two similar robberies committed by bogus cops in December last year in Kabega Park and Sherwood respectively.
In these robberies, the suspects were wearing full police uniforms and bulletproof vests.
In Sherwood, a husband was handcuffed and taken to a room where goods worth R54 000 were stolen.
In the second robbery, in Van Der Stel Street in Kabega Park, the complainant was assaulted with a firearm and a baton before he was tied up with cable ties.
Captain Janse van Rensburg says the public should only give police access if they have summoned an officer to their home.
Residents should also ask for identification or an appointment certificate.
The public should not just assume that people wearing blue pants and shirts are members of the South African Police Force.
Captain Janse van Rensburg says the robberies committed in December consisted of white and coloured suspects while Tuesday's robbery was committed by coloured individuals.
