Durban - Residents are warned to be more vigilant when walking around in their areas, this after a video that was shared raised concerns over crimes committed using vehicles without registration plates.
A resident, sharing the footage on Facebook, wrote: “So this is what happened outside my house in Essenwood today (June 8) at 1pm. Our cameras caught it. It’s a common practice in the suburbs of recent times. No car registration and he wears his hat over his face. These kids were young who were robbed.”
In the 46-second CCTV footage, a man is seen standing on the passenger side of a VW Golf with no registration plates with the door open.
While he is standing there talking on the phone, three women enter the frame with one walking ahead of the other two, who appear to be walking together.
The two women walking together are both carrying a plastic bag. They also appear to be carrying something else in the same hands as their plastic bags (suspected to be a phone).
Just as the two women walk past, the man standing on the passenger side of the vehicle grabs the cellphone from the woman closest to him before jumping into the vehicle, which speeds off.
Reacting to the footage on Facebook, Wanda Hennig wrote: “That's terrible. Seems to be so widespread. Who would have thought that guy was a criminal, just standing there at a car. I wouldn’t. Bloody hell. Yes, poor kids …”
Liesl Wienand urged residents from the area to be extra careful when leaving home.
Ntando Hlongwana also warned residents: “Please be careful, these scumbags are everywhere targeting pedestrians.”
Sbu Ntshalintshali said: “Even Essenwood is not safe anymore.”
Daily News