Tsitsi Matope
MASERU — Police last Thursday warned business operators not to keep large sums of money in their homes and on their business premises since this attracts robbers. Asian-owned supermarkets are a major target of armed robbers countrywide.
Police said this group is targeted because of a disturbing trend whereby they keep money at home and in workplaces instead of banking the cash with reputable banks. “Money is like a bait that can attract robbers. As a result, anyone who keeps large amounts in the house or on business premises is vulnerable to robbery,” police spokesperson, Inspector Thato Ramarikhoane said last Thursday.
He said on a weekly basis, Asian-owned supermarkets are robbed. “In most cases, the suspects get away with a lot of money, meaning that there are companies not prioritising the safety of their money and also endangering their lives”, he said. He said with precautionary measures, such crimes could easily be prevented.
“One effective way to prevent such robberies is by banking the money,” Ramarikhoane said. He said although the law is not clear on how much money a person is allowed to keep in the house, strong-room or safe, it might be risky to keep more than M20 000. “Although the term “large” can differ depending on people’s financial status, in this case large amounts apply to any amount that can deal a huge blow in your life or business if it is stolen. The term is therefore relative, because to some people, a thousand maloti is large,” Ramarikhoane said.
Detailing some armed robbery cases that occurred recently, Ramarikhoane said a supermarket owned by an Asian national in Maputsoe was robbed of M36 000 and airtime worth M2 000, on the night of Sunday September 29.
A former security guard at the supermarket was arrested after he was found with part of the stolen airtime.
Another Asian businesswoman and a security guard working at her supermarket were attacked by six armed men as they walked into her home in Muela, Butha Buthe on the night of Monday September 30. “The armed men disarmed the security guard and force-marched the businesswoman into her house. They then ordered her to give them all the money she had in the house. They also assaulted her with the butt of a gun when she indicated she had no money,” Ramarikhoane said.
She then led the armed men to her bedroom where she took M47 000 which she had kept under her bed, Ramarikhoane said. In a separate case of attempted robbery, unknown suspects tampered with the strong room door at the Ministry of Forestry and Land Reclamation on the night of Tuesday September 24.
“The suspect or suspects failed to gain entry into the strong room where undisclosed large sums of money were kept.” Meanwhile, Ramarikhoane also warned people against moving around with large cash, especially during this festive season.
“It is safer to do bank transfers for huge payments and also to opt for other payment services to prevent cash withdrawals and moving around with money.”