Despite yet another incident of a more serious crime taking place in Laudium this week, where a gang of armed thugs attacked and used violence when pouncing on a Laudium family, local police seemingly have neither intensified police patrols in the area nor embarked on a crime combatting plan visible to the community, such as police roadblocks.
Pleas from the community for police to increase visibility on the streets and act decisively against criminals, certainly seem to be falling on deaf ears and it is uncertain if the police have any solution to solving the crime pandemic which residents have to face each day. What remains very worrisome for residents, is the intensified nature of crimes seen once more in Laudium, where thugs seem to be more daring and are even attacking homes in broad daylight, not hesitant to use violence to obtain their ill-gotten gains. Police are silent on these crimes and the community remains in the dark. In one of the latest incidents of serious crime, a Taj Street, Laudium family had a nerve-racking experience this past Friday morning (Nov 26) at around 10:45. Taj Street resident, Aysha Essa, told the Laudium Sun, “On Friday morning. I was at home with my daughters, when suddenly around six guys just stormed into our house. We were totally shocked and had no idea at the time, how they got in, until I realized that they had used the garage door. With guns pointed at us, one of them then demanded money, but even before I could say anything, he started beating me up and my arm was fractured in the process. I was in such excruciating pain, but they did not care, tied us all up and then demanded that we all lie down on the floor. One of them even hit me with the butt of his gun, as he demanded valuables. After ransacking our house, they demanded the car keys and warned us not to get up whilst they were leaving. They then went to the garage and drove off with my car, a black Hyundai Tucson Reg VTD 598 GP. We are all extremely traumatized by this incident. I’m in a lot of pain as we speak. The crime in Laudium is totally out of hand. How can these thugs be allowed to target our houses like this and just get away with it? The police really need to step up their game by increasing police patrols, to stop this out of control crime. We are really suffering, and now I can’t even go anywhere since my car has been stolen. My car was very important to my mobility, as I do all my important chores with it. These thugs were very ruthless and it did not matter to them at all that we were all women in the house at the time. They just demanded what they wanted and hit us and tied us up and demanded that we lay on the floor. Thankfully, our neighbours heard us screaming after the thugs left and came to untie us.”
Sergeant Simon Chokoe, of the Laudium SAPS, said, “Police in Laudium are investigating a case of house robbery that took place in Taj Street on 2021-11-26 morning in Laudium. It is alleged that the victims were at their place of residence on Taj Street, when three unknown males entered the premises and demanded money at gun point. It is further alleged that two of the three suspects, both armed, pointed firearms and assaulted one of the victims, while the other ransacked the house and was joined by another three suspects who also entered the house. Thus a total number of six suspects were in the house. An undisclosed amount of money was taken. Some of the suspects fled the scene with the victim’s Black Hyundai Tucsan with registration number VTD 598 GP, while the other suspects fled the scene with a white Toyota Avanza, registration number currently unknown. No shots were fired. One of the victims was injured. No one has been arrested yet. Police are pleading to anyone with information which might lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the SAPS on 0860010111 or contact the local police station. Police are further urging the community to report any suspicious motor vehicles or persons to the police, without fear, by contacting the SAPS. Together we can create safer communities.”
