The quiet community of Rylands experienced a nasty shock when the Andaaz Jewellers was robbed by five unidentified suspects on Tuesday July 19 at 11am.
Driving a white Volkswagen Polo, the five suspects reversed thro-ugh the glass windows of the store and then proceeded to steal an undisclosed amount of jewellery before making off with the loot.
SAPS spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said the case is under investigation and that no one had been arrested yet.
While the five suspects have not been identified, the get-away car was recovered in Rylands by the Rylands Neighbourhood Watch.
Danyaal Zaal, executive member of the watch, said crime is usually low in the Rylands area.
“Rylands is a low crime area. The residents here are primarily business owners. In rec-ent years, Rylands has become a targeted area and our crime rate has rapidly increased, said Mr Zaal.
“Unfortunately, people just don’t make cases so the numbers aren’t accurate and many criminals walk free. The residents are definitely traumatised by the situation and have begun building high walls, in a sense incarcerating themselves within their homes. This tells the perpetrator you have something to hide and instills fear in the community, he said.
Mr Zaal advised Rylands residents to be vigilant and neighbourly.
Rylands resident Shabier Bray said he feels unsafe in the area due to the constant house break-ins and shop robberies.
“Every month there is something happening in the area, either a robbery or a break-in. We feel very unsafe in the area, and need visible policing,” said Mr Bray.
If you have information about this robbery, call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
