Another week and again more incidents of crime have been reported to the Laudium Sun by residents, for stats purposes.
Yet, the local police and the CPF hold back on relevant crime information, which could assist residents in taking extra precautions to protect themselves, their families and their properties.
In one of the latest incidents of crime reported, a tuck shop on Ahimsa Crescent, in Laudium Ext 3, was robbed by armed thugs, in broad daylight. The robbery which took place the previous Thursday morning at around 11:30, saw three Black thugs, who first pretended to be customers, getting away freely with their loot, including an undisclosed amount of cash, mobile phones and cartons of cigarettes.
Tuck shop owner, Rana Abdul, told the Laudium Sun, “It was in the morning when two Black guys entered my shop, while another was standing at the entrance of my shop. The two guys approached me as I was behind the counter by the till and said that they wanted to buy a cigarette lighter. They asked me to show them the various lighters we had in stock and as I was showing them while they were standing in front of my till, one of the thugs suddenly pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. He told me to give him all the cash, cigarette cartons and my phone. I was really afraid as they threatened to shoot me, so I gave them all the money that was in the till, my Samsung phone and the cartons of cigarettes that were on the shelf. My assistant who was also inside the shop was then accosted by one of the thugs and was told to hand over his cell phone, so he had to give his Hisense phone. The thugs then went fast out, running down towards Itireleng. It all happened so quickly, leaving me and my assistant traumatised. We are now in a lot of fear because this kind of crime is becoming too common in our area, more so as we are right at the doorstep of Itireleng. Even the police do not come here to patrol and there is a lot of fear for our businesses and indeed for our lives. I work hard, trying to earn an honest living, working seven days a week, running my small business, but now I am constantly worried about criminals entering my shop at any time. We urgently need more visibility from the police and also from the CPF Patrollers, because residents want to live in peace and we as business owners want to work and earn a living in a safe place. Laudium is facing a lot of crime and criminal activities which are shaking the whole community. This is not the best situation for people who want to live and do business in this area, because almost every day there are incidents of crime taking place. The community is on edge all the time, because these criminals are becoming more daring, as if they know that there is no will by the police to catch them.”
Assistant worker at the tuck shop, Kassim Banda, told the Laudium Sun, “It was really a shocking time as I was working in the shop when suddenly these thugs came inside the shop. Everything happened very quickly and created a lot of fear and panic inside the shop. I was also held at gunpoint and the one thug took my cell phone. It was a very frightening moment because this kind of situation is not something that anyone expects, while just working at a shop. This kind of crime leaves a person shaken and worried, because it shows how easily criminals can enter a business place and threaten people who are trying to earn an honest living. When someone is threatened with a gun, it becomes a very terrifying moment and it makes a person think about personal safety and the safety of others working nearby. There is now fear that something like this can happen again at any time. Working in a shop should be normal and peaceful, but incidents like this create a lot of stress and fear for us workers, as well. There must be more police patrols in our area because the police are the ones who can help stop crime in the community and protect innocent people.”
Ravi Pillay of Ahimsa Crescent, told the Laudium Sun, “People in this area work very hard every day to earn an honest living and take care of their families, but criminals are not interested in working honestly. Instead, they choose the easy way by committing crime and targeting small businesses and workers who are simply trying to survive. This kind of behavior is very stressful for the community. Stronger action from the authorities and more visible police patrols are really needed in this area, so that business owners and workers can feel safer and continue their daily work without fear.”