An armed security guard who has been terrorising businesses and customers in the Erasmia area, is still on the loose, with no one able to say where he is from or who he is working for.
The black security guard who has been seen in full uniform has terrorised at least two businesses in the area owned by foreigners, recently. In both instances the guard entered the businesses in the evening, pulled out his firearm and then after placing it on the counter, questioned the foreign staff as to why they were talking bad about him in their language and why were they looking at him suspiciously. Clearly staff members and customers in the shops panicked after seeing the gun laying on the counter and when they pleaded with the guard for his mercy, frantically trying to convince him that it was all a misunderstanding and that there was no discussion about him, the guard would then laugh and holster his gun saying that he was just joking. A number of shoppers who were in either store complained to the Laudium Sun about the incident. In one of the incidents, that took place last Tuesday evening just before 9pm shortly before the store closing the guard entered Ranas Supermarket in the Erasmia CBD area. A customer, Imtiaz Cassim who was inside the store told the Laudium Sun, “I had just entered the store to get some things quickly, when all of a sudden this security guard in full uniform entered. The two Pakistani guys behind the counter were speaking in Urdu, I don’t know what they were saying. But then this black security guard said to them, ‘I know your language …”WHAT DID U SAY’. He screamed 2 or 3 times at them, then he pulled out his firearm, cocked it and with one up live ammunition, put it on the counter facing the Pakistani staff and very aggressively and intimidatingly, screamed at them, ‘now repeat, what you said’. The Pakistani staff were scared and dumbstruck and remained quiet for a while and so was I and other customers who were still inside the shop. When the guard screamed again asking the staff what they said about him the staff then started to plead for mercy out of fear and tried convincing the guard that they were certainly not talking anything about him. After a few minutes the guard holstered his firearm saying he was just joking, left the shop and then climbed into a silver Mercedes Benz that was waiting for him with another black driver inside. So we have trigger happy security guards who are irresponsible to carry firearms as it was definitely uncalled for, for him to draw a firearm. This is serious harassment and seriously irresponsible intimidation. Taking out a firearm where other customers are present is very serious and uncalled for. This was highly disturbing and traumatizing for me and others who witnessed the incident. The Laudium Sun then called on Ranas Supermarket and spoke to Faisal Bajwa, who confirmed the incident but said that he did not want to comment as he was afraid for his life. The mini shopping complex where Ranas is situated has a security guard on duty, so the Laudium Sun then spoke to Trevor Shava of Cops Tactical, who said when he heard screaming he immediately called for back-up but by the time back-up came, the silver Merc was gone.
