Brazen robbers dancing on ceilings in Stirling, Nahoon
Nahoon and Stirling residents have been rattled by a spate of burglaries in which brazen robbers break in through the roof of homes before disarming alarm systems and helping themselves.
Broubart Security Company director André “Bulla” Wood said he knew of seven break-ins in the last month and at least three over the Easter weekend, which he described as “very busy”.
“I’d say it is a syndicate. They know when residents are not home because they have been monitoring comings and goings. And a lot of the thieves are coming in through the roof.”
He said once they had gained entry, the intruders follow wiring to “the heart of the alarm system”.
“They are very knowledgeable. They give the system an almighty yank which cuts it off. They also bypass a detector with a mattress or clothing.”
He advised homeowners to install anti-cloak and roof detectors.
Stirling resident Morné Botha said just one hour after leaving the city on Friday morning for an Easter break he received a call from his security company. “They came in through the bathroom window where there is no motion sensor, then they climbed into the roof, emerged in the bedroom, and pulled out the alarm wiring in the cupboard,” said Botha, who is upgrading his security technology.
On high alert, Botha said when he heard a house alarm going off on Monday evening, he jumped into his car to investigate.
“A few neighbours also responded, as did the alarm company. We heard there was a suspicious silver Polo so we drove around looking for it. The same modus operandi is being used, so I think it’s the same perpetrators.”
Rian Wagenaar, who lives in Stirling, said burglars made a hole in his roof on Monday evening, but got no further thanks to the sensor in his roof.
Wagenaar, who is holidaying in St Francis Bay, has forked out for a security guard until his return.
Charl van Wyk, whose Nahoon home was broken into four weeks ago, said thieves had forced their way through his bathroom window, obscured his sensors with towels, ripped the main circuit control out and stolen computers, jewellery and cameras.
“Since my break-in, this has been an almost daily occurrence in the area. People are living in fear, but I now drive around doing patrols.”
Police Lieutenant Nkosikho Mzuku said police were aware of “isolated incidents” in the two suburbs. He said in cases where police had made breakthroughs it had been “proven” suspects were not working in syndicates.
Mzuku said patrols and visibility had been increased in Nahoon and Stirling.