A straight-up movie scene played out at Pinecrest Mall in Pinetown on Sunday afternoon when a courier van was robbed in broad daylight while shoppers and motorists looked on in pure disbelief.
Videos doing the rounds on social media show a crew of heavily armed thugs robbing a courier team right outside the mall entrance. The suspects, carrying what look like high-calibre rifles, forced the couriers to surrender sealed boxes before loading them into their white getaway vehicle. Shoppers can be seen ducking for cover while others film the chaos from inside their cars.
But what shocked the country most is what happened next. A Durban Metro Police vehicle unknowingly drove straight into the scene, right past the armed suspects. Instead of panicking or opening fire, the robbers calmly pointed their rifles at the cops and signalled for them to keep it moving. And believe it or not, the police vehicle just rolled past without stopping.
Eyewitnesses say the cops looked like they realised only too late what was happening and decided not to engage, possibly to avoid triggering a deadly shootout in the middle of a packed mall. No shots were fired and thankfully no injuries were reported.
After grabbing the goods, the suspects sped off, leaving the courier workers shaken and confused. Not a single arrest has been made so far.
Read | Dashcam Captures Umlazi Courier Van Hijacking as Driver Is Forced to the Ground
The footage has stirred major debate online. Many people are furious, asking why the police didn’t intervene, while others are defending the officers, saying Metro Police often patrol without heavy weapons and would have been badly outgunned.
With courier robberies spiking lately, especially heading into the festive season, drivers say they feel like sitting ducks out here. Crime in Durban is getting bolder by the day and scenes like this remind us how risky everyday work can be.
Watch the video below:
The latest SA Trucking News straight to your inbox!
Do you have more on this story? Click to WhatsApp us. Anonymity guaranteed.
