Cops trail stylish mall bandits: Gang of seven women walk off fast after stuffing large bag
Police are on the trail of a six-woman gang of mall bandits hitting East London’s high-class fashion stores.
The “beautiful”, “well groomed” but “foul-mouthed” gang stole stock worth R16000 in a daring raid on fashion store Exact in Vincent Park shopping centre on Wednesday.
Yesterday, mall management and security officials held an emergency meeting to discuss a number of heavy shoplifting incidents at the centre in the last few months.
Exact store staff member Phumla Ndanda believed the same six “beautiful” and “well-groomed” women had raided the store six months ago.
On Wednesday the unarmed thieves entered the store and walked out with 18 “pleather” (fake leather) jackets worth a total of R9900 and 28 pairs of jeggings worth R7000.
Ndanda said the gang was known among fashion retail store employees, and is suspected to operate out of Mdantsane. She says they stole 20 pairs of jeans worth a total R7980 in a raid in September.
Ndanda, who was acting supervisor at the time of the raid, sensed her shop was under attack.
Staff had alerted her to the gang, which entered the store at 4.50pm carrying a large, strong plastic bag from bed shop Sheet Street.
The six were accompanied by a man believed to be their driver.
They quickly split into three teams which occupied the “kiddies, ladies and gents section”.
Ndanda said the staff of three felt they were under siege.
The gang left at a fast walking pace with the bag jam-packed.
“I followed them and asked why and where they were going, what they were doing. They swore at me and said: ‘F*** you! These are not your clothes. Don’t give us s**t!’
“They deliberately came at an extremely busy time for this shop because people come from work to pay their accounts and do last-minute shopping before we close.”
The centre’s facility manager, PJ Bosman, and Ndanda confirmed that the gang were well-groomed.
Ndanda said: “You would not tell they were crooks because they looked and dressed decently. The one who exchanged words with me was the most beautiful.
“Surely they have been studying our movements. They did their homework and this included counting the staff complement as well as security routines.” Bosman said the mall had upgraded its security arrangements after a spate of similar incidents.
“We have put extra security cameras and panic buttons in for our tenants and hired extra security personnel.
“But stores should also be responsible for their own security.”
The raid was caught on CCTV, which is on the Dispatch YouTube channel (Daily Dispatch).
Mdantsane police spokesman Captain Nkosikho Mzuku said: “This office would like to reserve comment on the developments of this case for now.
“The investigation is still at a very sensitive stage. Any publication of such will compromise our investigation. ”