Durban — Game 4U, the gaming store in Musgrave Centre that was robbed in the early hours of Tuesday morning, has deactivated all the PlayStation 5 (PS5) consoles that were stolen during the robbery.
In a minute and 20-second long video shared by Game 4U, from 4.52am on Tuesday, a gang of armed suspects forced open the door of the store by repeatedly kicking at it.
Three suspects then enter the store and one of the suspects jumps on to a counter, while another suspect opens up and lays down on the floor what appears to be a sheet.
Working together, the suspects place what appears to be PlayStation consoles on the sheet.
One of the suspects then leaves the store with what appears to be two boxes of the gaming console.
However, that is where the video cuts.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said Berea police are investigating a case of business robbery.
“The security guard on duty was opening the gate when he was approached by two armed suspects. It was reported that the suspects broke into the shop and stole five PlayStations,” Netshiunda said.
Following the incident, Game 4U issued a notice on its Facebook page which read that due to the robbery of the store in Musgrave Centre, they have deactivated all of the PS5 consoles that were stolen.
“We advise the public to use extreme caution when purchasing PS5 consoles from marketplaces such as Facebook and Gumtree, especially if these consoles do not include a valid receipt or proof of purchase as the stolen consoles have been deactivated and will be unusable,” Game 4U said.
The store asked for its message to be shared with others to help spread the word and prevent unsuspecting buyers from being duped into purchasing stolen goods.
Meanwhile, in another Game 4U robbery, this time at Gateway Theatre of Shopping, a gang of robbers entered Game 4U and stole PlayStations off the top shelves with the aid of a stick and climbed on to counters.
In CCTV footage, the suspects can be seen trying to smash the door of the store, and after a number of tries, they succeed and proceed into the store with bags and items to help carry the loot.
Four suspects are then seen grabbing game consoles and games inside the store, while another, although briefly standing in the doorway, seems to be the lookout but returns, later on, to help them carry the loot.
A sixth suspect then joins them and also steals from the store.
It took them less than two minutes to grab what they wanted before fleeing.
At the time of the incident, police Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo confirmed that a case of robbery was opened at Durban North police station for investigation.
“The complainant alleged that he was performing his duties at the business premises on June 12, 2022, at 5.20am, when he spotted six armed men approaching the business premises and he fled the scene. The suspects broke into the business premises and stole PlayStations and other gaming equipment.”
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News