A gang of crafty criminals recently pulled wool over an Ivory Street pensioner's eyes, robbing her of a valuable item this week, under the pretence of running a gold exchange business.
"I stood there not able to move after I realised what happened. I can't believe they were brazen enough to do something like this," explained Laudium pensioner, Barkuth Aboo (73).
“When I heard my doorbell ring on Monday morning (June 11) at around 10:30am I was greeted by a well dressed Indian male who introduced himself as Leno. He then went on to say that he was in the gold exchange business and that he would buy any broken jewellery items as well. At first I told him that I had nothing he would be interested in but he was a smooth talker and eventually I relented and went to fetch my Krugerrand from my room, because I was curious about its value,” Barkuth related.
“After I handed over the coin to him, he looked at it for a few seconds, then said he was just going to his car to fetch a valuation book for the coin. But when he went to his car, he promptly started it and drove away swiftly! I still can't believe that he actually stole my coin,” Barkuth lamented.
“I screamed out for my domestic and my immediate neighbours to tell them what had happened. My domestic worker phoned the police and whilst relating the story to my neighbours I learnt that there were four Indian guys in a white Polo that had been going to most of the homes on Ivory Street, using the same ploy to lure unsuspecting locals into handing over their possessions. I should never have opened the gate to let that evil criminal into my home, but my trusting nature won and look where that has got me now,” said the saddened grandmother.
Neighbour Kuben Naidoo (30), who had gone over to the Aboo home after he heard screams for help, said that the criminals had also come to his home inquiring about gold jewellery.
“I would never have at first suspected these guys to be criminals. They all looked like professional people and even spoke the part. When they came to my home I told them that I never ever had any gold jewellery in the past and what struck me as odd is that one of them made a joke then, about my neighbours and asked if I knew who was stashing jewellery at their homes. They left soon afterwards and went to the other homes and I continued going about my chores for the day,” Kuben said.
“When I heard the aunty scream for help, I rushed out of my yard to see what had happened and she told me that she was just robbed by the very same gang. My heart sank, because I felt like I should have at least recognized them for the criminals that they were. I gave a description of the four thieves and the vehicle that they were in to the police and I can only hope that these creeps are caught soon,” Kuben concluded.
Ivory Street resident, Kuben Naidoo, says he feels he should have recognised the gang for the criminals they actually were.
The Aboo family home that was targeted by crafty criminals, this past Monday.