Cops & robbers

A SOMALI spaza shop owner is calling on cops to investigate their colleagues after they allegedly stole over R20 000 from his winkel.

The 34-year-old owner, who asked not to be named, says he got a skrik when he 
realised he was being robbed by officers dressed in full SAPS uniform.

He claims on Saturday he was inside his shop when officers from the Tactical Response Unit (TRT) arrived and said they needed to search the store for guns.

He explains: “This shop has been here for 10 years and I have been the owner for seven years. They came with police cars and about eight came inside the shop.

“They said they must search for guns and I let them, no problem because I don’t have guns.”

He says after the search, one officer instructed him to gather all the cash he had on the property, explaining: “I had R20 000 that I put away for my cigarette stock.

“I was going to buy cigarettes later that day. Then there was a R800 from sales in the shop and I put it in the box.

“They took the box of money and put packets of chips on the top and said they will come back any time for more money and they left.”

The shop owner said he was shocked and it was later revealed that the details of the SAPS vehicles had been caught on CCTV footage.

The babie adds: “I was so shocked to see the police steal. I don’t have cameras in the shop but they were caught on an outside camera and I reported the case to Delft police station.

“They gave me a case 
number and told me they will investigate, but I have not heard anything.”

Images from the CCTV footage supplied to the Daily Voice shows the vehicle call signs and further investigation revealed that the vehicles are used by a TRT unit based in Faure.

Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirms that a criminal case has been registered but says no arrests have been made.

He reports: “Be advised that the mentioned case number is a theft general case registered at Delft SAPS for investigation. The incident happened on 15 February at Canberra Street, The Hague, Delft. No arrest as yet investigations continues.”