OMEN
05-11-2006, 08:54 AM
Franschhoek - A man watched helplessly as four robbers took jewellery worth millions of rand "and nine years' hard work" from his jewellery store on Wednesday.
Tracey's Diamonds, a well-known diamond and jewellery shop in the Main Road of Franschhoek, was robbed after the owner and a milkman were held hostage by four armed men in blue overalls about 09:10 on Wednesday.
This was the latest in a spate of crime that has shocked the Boland town recently.
According to Vicki Tracey, co-owner of the family business, her husband, Evan Tracey, had gone to work at the shop as usual on Wednesday morning. The door was apparently locked.
Tracey had just unlocked the door for the milkman from Malan's Diary in town, who delivered fresh cream and milk daily for the family's coffee shop
Tracey said the milkman was just walking out of the door when a big man with a pistol forced him back into the shop.
Thought they would be killed
"The man took the R85 I had just paid the milkman. I couldn't do a thing."
"They tied our hands with wire and demanded the keys to the safe, where the jewellery is kept overnight.
"We thought they were going to kill us," said a shocked Tracey, staring at the marks on his hands where the wire cut into him.
The robbers put the contents of the safe into a blue sports bag and demanded cash before locking the two men into the bathroom.
They locked the front door and left with the keys.
Vicki Tracey didn't want to say how much the stolen jewellery was worth.
"It's worth millions. There were a lot of diamonds, and we kept only top-class jewellery."
According to a police statement, the jewellery was worth about R4m.
Witnesses said they had seen a brown car with a CY registration number.
Police spokesperson Bernadine Steyn was not sure whether the robbers had fled on foot or in a car.
Staff from the shop next door later told the Tracey family they had seen four men outside the shop in the past two days.
Vicki said: "They must have been watching our movements, and they must have known my husband was alone in the shop in the mornings."
Tracey said police had to be called three times before they arrived.
The woman who took the calls to the police apparently never radioed information about the robbery to police on patrol.
Police deny crime increase
Tracey said: "Nine years' hard word, seven days a week... gone, in 10 minutes flat. Everything is gone."
Matthew, the couple's son, said they were not sure whether they wanted to continue with the business after the robbery.
Inspector Leon Boonzaaier of Franschhoek police station said they were not experiencing an increase in crime - there were only "isolated cases".
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Tracey's Diamonds, a well-known diamond and jewellery shop in the Main Road of Franschhoek, was robbed after the owner and a milkman were held hostage by four armed men in blue overalls about 09:10 on Wednesday.
This was the latest in a spate of crime that has shocked the Boland town recently.
According to Vicki Tracey, co-owner of the family business, her husband, Evan Tracey, had gone to work at the shop as usual on Wednesday morning. The door was apparently locked.
Tracey had just unlocked the door for the milkman from Malan's Diary in town, who delivered fresh cream and milk daily for the family's coffee shop
Tracey said the milkman was just walking out of the door when a big man with a pistol forced him back into the shop.
Thought they would be killed
"The man took the R85 I had just paid the milkman. I couldn't do a thing."
"They tied our hands with wire and demanded the keys to the safe, where the jewellery is kept overnight.
"We thought they were going to kill us," said a shocked Tracey, staring at the marks on his hands where the wire cut into him.
The robbers put the contents of the safe into a blue sports bag and demanded cash before locking the two men into the bathroom.
They locked the front door and left with the keys.
Vicki Tracey didn't want to say how much the stolen jewellery was worth.
"It's worth millions. There were a lot of diamonds, and we kept only top-class jewellery."
According to a police statement, the jewellery was worth about R4m.
Witnesses said they had seen a brown car with a CY registration number.
Police spokesperson Bernadine Steyn was not sure whether the robbers had fled on foot or in a car.
Staff from the shop next door later told the Tracey family they had seen four men outside the shop in the past two days.
Vicki said: "They must have been watching our movements, and they must have known my husband was alone in the shop in the mornings."
Tracey said police had to be called three times before they arrived.
The woman who took the calls to the police apparently never radioed information about the robbery to police on patrol.
Police deny crime increase
Tracey said: "Nine years' hard word, seven days a week... gone, in 10 minutes flat. Everything is gone."
Matthew, the couple's son, said they were not sure whether they wanted to continue with the business after the robbery.
Inspector Leon Boonzaaier of Franschhoek police station said they were not experiencing an increase in crime - there were only "isolated cases".
http://www.news24.com/Images/Source_Images/dieburger_small.jpg