A daring armed robbery unfolded on Gutenberg Street, Riverside Industrial, Newcastle, resulting in a factory owner being stabbed and one of his staff members assaulted, with the perpetrators remaining at large.
Ismaeel Dhalech of Optimust Protection Services explained, “We received an alarm from our client at 2:25 pm on Friday afternoon, 24 November 2023. Upon arriving at the scene at 2:30 pm, we found four individuals had entered the premises of the factory, assaulting a staff member on their way into the building, before they stabbed the factory owner.”
After assaulting the two victims, the assailants managed to steal an undisclosed sum of money and make their escape in a getaway vehicle.
Despite the rapid response of Optimus Protection Service, arriving within five minutes after the factory owner activated the panic button, the suspects successfully eluded capture. Dhalech, however, noted that ongoing investigations are taking place, and crucial evidence has been captured by CCTV cameras strategically positioned in the industrial area.
The deployment of security cameras in Riverside Industrial was initiated in 2022, a response to the tragic murder of a security guard in July of the same year.
The guard had intercepted an individual attempting to enter the premises he was assigned to protect. The ensuing altercation resulted in the guard being fatally shot in the face. As a result, the incident served as a catalyst for heightened security measures, prompting the Chinese CPF to install security cameras and collaborate more closely with local law enforcement.
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“Fortunately, the factory owner and his staff member weren’t seriously injured during the incident,” stressed Dhalech. However, the incident has left them both in a state of shock.
Seeking further insight into the matter, Newcastillian News sought comment from the factory owner, who declined, preferring to let law enforcement pursue the culprits while he worked on placing the traumatic incident behind him.
Speaking with Newcastle SAPS, spokesperson, Lizzy Arumugam confirmed the investigation and expressed that the SAPS are determined to apprehend the four perpetrators responsible for the armed robbery.
As the SAPS, security entities, and the Newcastle CPF work towards ensuring justice prevails, the community is encouraged to share any information on the case with law enforcement. Your input could be pivitol in bringing these criminals to justice.
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