Employees of Lauds Foundry Equipment were subjected to a nightmarish time on Wednesday when the company was invaded by 15 men.<\/p>\n
The robbery left one man dead and employees traumatised.<\/p>
Elsburg SAPS communications officer Const Daphney Phooko told the GCN that at about 6.50am, 15 men, speaking Shona, entered the business in Kabeljou Road, in Wadeville, driving a white Chevrolet utility bakkie with a canopy.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen men were armed with firearms and four of them pointed their firearms at the employees and forced them to open the door so that they could gain entry to the building,\u201d said Phooko.<\/p>
\u201cAfter entry was gained all the employees present at that stage were tied up with shoelaces and those who arrived later also had firearms pointed at them and were taken to where the others were being kept tied up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the last employee arrived at the business premises, the suspects approached him and spoke to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, it is alleged the employee, a 75-year-old man, who spoke Portuguese, and the criminals misunderstood each other due to the language barrier.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the suspects shot the man once in the upper body, fatally wounding him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The suspects then allegedly forced one of the security officers to show them how to operate the forklift, which they used to load drums onto an eight-ton truck.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than 50, 250kg drums of nickel (a precious metal) were taken.<\/p>\n
\u201cComputers and employees\u2019 cellphones were also taken by the suspects,\u201d said Phooko.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nickel, worth more than R6-million, was loaded onto an eight-ton truck with an unknown registration number.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe suspects then fled the scene in the Chevrolet utility bakkie and the truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paramedics from Netcare 911 responded to the scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Netcare 911 paramedics arrived on scene, they found that the man had been fatally shot,\u201d said Athlenda Mathe, media liaison officer for Netcare 911.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was declared dead on scene by Netcare 911 paramedics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paramedics also assessed at least 23 employees, but could find no visible injuries.<\/p>\n
Netcare 911 also deployed trauma counsellors to the scene.<\/p>\n
The Elsburg police are investigating cases of murder and business robbery.<\/p>\n
No arrests have been made at this stage.<\/p>\n
Anyone with information leading to the arrest of the suspects can contact the Elsburg police on 011 827-2060.<\/p>\n
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Related articles:<\/p>\n
Wadeville business robbery leaves one dead, others traumatised<\/a><\/p>\n