CAMBRIDGE police have arrested three people who allegedly cheated security sensors by doctoring the carry bags at clothing stores in Hemingways Mall.
Police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said last Friday five suspects – four men and a woman – allegedly stole clothing worth R7000.
Two managed to get away in a vehicle parked outside the shopping centre. Mbi said two of the group had pending cases of shoplifting against them in the Western Cape.
He said police were now alerting shop owners to the technique the group had used .
“We don’t know how many groups are out there but we can imagine the losses incurred by store owners because of syndicates such as this,” said Mbi.
He said the suspects entered a Guess clothing store on Friday afternoon pretending to be customers.
An employee at the store said he had attended to them and they kept him running up and down getting different items to try on in the fitting rooms.
“The items that the guys returned from the fitting room were fewer than the items they took in. After a while they started leaving the store one by one,” said the employee.
When he saw that most of the jeans were gone from the display rack, shop staff realised they had become victims of theft .
“There was only one guy remaining in the store. He was carrying a backpack, and we realised that he must have been up to something,” said the employee.
The employee took a clothing tag and pretended to be walking out with the one suspect when the alarm sensor was activated.
“When the guy was distracted by the alarm, I asked to check his bag and that’s when he dropped the bag and fled,” said the salesman. He said he alerted security, who then chased the man and his four accomplices, who were outside.
Police received a call from security at the mall and by the time police arrived at the scene, security guards had apprehended three suspects, all aged between 19 and 25.
When cornered, the man who had dropped the bag jumped down three floors and broke his leg.
Mbi said the suspects would appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court soon. —
Three suspects held in shoplifting scam
Police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said last Friday five suspects – four men and a woman – allegedly stole clothing worth R7000.
Two managed to get away in a vehicle parked outside the shopping centre. Mbi said two of the group had pending cases of shoplifting against them in the Western Cape.
He said police were now alerting shop owners to the technique the group had used .
“We don’t know how many groups are out there but we can imagine the losses incurred by store owners because of syndicates such as this,” said Mbi.
He said the suspects entered a Guess clothing store on Friday afternoon pretending to be customers.
An employee at the store said he had attended to them and they kept him running up and down getting different items to try on in the fitting rooms.
“The items that the guys returned from the fitting room were fewer than the items they took in. After a while they started leaving the store one by one,” said the employee.
When he saw that most of the jeans were gone from the display rack, shop staff realised they had become victims of theft .
“There was only one guy remaining in the store. He was carrying a backpack, and we realised that he must have been up to something,” said the employee.
The employee took a clothing tag and pretended to be walking out with the one suspect when the alarm sensor was activated.
“When the guy was distracted by the alarm, I asked to check his bag and that’s when he dropped the bag and fled,” said the salesman. He said he alerted security, who then chased the man and his four accomplices, who were outside.
Police received a call from security at the mall and by the time police arrived at the scene, security guards had apprehended three suspects, all aged between 19 and 25.
When cornered, the man who had dropped the bag jumped down three floors and broke his leg.
Mbi said the suspects would appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court soon. —
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