PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - A local family was held hostage in an armed robbery this past weekend. The suspects are still at large and are being sought by the police.
The Kwanokuthula Police have registered a house robbery case following the incident, which occurred at about 03:30 at a premises in Eyehu Street, Kranshoek, Kwanokuthula, on Sunday 28 June.
According to police media liaison officer Captain FC van Wyk, the complainant had locked his tavern at around 02:30 and returned home.
Upon arrival, he heard a noise from a neighbouring house and went to investigate. There, he found his neighbour's son injured, bleeding and incoherent.
"While assisting the injured man and preparing to seek medical assistance, the complainant was confronted by four unidentified males wearing balaclavas and armed with firearms. The suspects allegedly informed him that they were looking for him and forced him into his home," said Van Wyk.
He said that the suspects then held the complainant's family hostage inside the house while they searched the premises and his vehicle, taking personal belongings, including an undisclosed amount of cash.
"The complainant was later forced to accompany the suspects to his business premises, while his family remained under guard at the house. At the business premises, the suspects emptied the cash registers into a plastic bag," Van Wyk added.
The suspects fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash, cellphones and a silver Toyota RunX. The vehicle was recovered in New Rest following a public appeal issued by the Plettenberg Bay Community Policing Association (PBCPA) on its Facebook page.
The PBCPA stated that due to the nature of the case, limited information could be shared. Vehicle details circulated included registration CX 69851, a silver Toyota RunX, with a noticeable dent on the bonnet area.
The organisation warned, however, that the suspects may have changed the number plates, making licence plate recognition (LPR) tracking more difficult, and expressed concern that the vehicle could be used in further crimes.
The police confirmed that investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been made at this stage.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
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