Hemingways Mall: Police in search of jewellery heist suspects [video]

East London police are in search of a group of suspects who caused terror inside the Hemingways Mall, on Wednesday morning.

Watch: Shots fired at Hemingways Mall

Reports of an ongoing robbery inside the shopping mall that is situated at the corner of Western Avenue and Two Rivers Drive, just off the N2 Highway which runs to Port Elizabeth, spread on social media.

Shoppers and mall staffers took videos of the confrontation between armed suspects and the police and posted them on social media.

@Abramjee armed robbery at @hemingwaysmall in East London right now pic.twitter.com/pRBizq8prA

— Bonile (@Bone_aisle) February 5, 2020

As reported by Dispatch Live, an unknown number of armed suspects targeted Dennis Collins Jewellers. The robbers made off with an undisclosed number of items.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt during the robbery or the confrontation with police where live ammunition was fired inside Hemingways Mall as well as in the parking lot.

According to police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci, it was the suspects who initiated the shootout with police.

“It is alleged that upon seeing the police who were patrolling at the mall, the suspects fired shots as they were escaping with their getaway vehicle. The police returned fire, no injuries reported so far. The getaway vehicle was later found near Amalinda forest,” Col. Soci noted in a statement.

A manager of one of the stores near the targeted jewellery outlet told the cited publication that she was forced to lock down her shop and hide in the storeroom after she heard six gunshots ring out.

The police have confirmed that investigators assigned to the Hemingways Mall heist are hot on the heels of the suspects. However, at this time, no persons have been placed under arrest.

Soci encouraged anyone with valuable information on the case to contact “the Investigating Officer, W/O Gcobani Maqhubela, attached to Provincial Organised Crime on 071 608 1475.”

The police have assured those who come forward with tip-offs that all information will be treated with strict confidence and callers can also remain anonymous if they wish to.