Smoke trap: A jewelry store employee foils an attempted robbery
Category: Eyewitness, PEGI 0+
Today, 19:33
An armed robbery attempt occurred at a jewelry store in Ofakim this evening, but the perpetrators fled empty-handed. The robbery was thwarted thanks to the foresight of the store owners and the decisive action of one of the employees.
The robbery attempt occurred at one of the city's jewelry stores, which in recent years have often been at risk due to the activity of organized Bedouin criminal groups. According to sources, small businesses in southern cities are increasingly facing such threats.
Late in the evening, a group of masked assailants broke into the store. Their accomplice was waiting outside in a car, ready to facilitate their escape. The robbers, armed with crowbars and batons, forcibly broke down the glass door. As seen in CCTV footage, one of the robbers began smashing the display case with a crowbar, attempting to intimidate the staff and suppress any resistance.
The employees, finding themselves in a critical situation, instinctively retreated further into the store. However, one of the clerks, who maintained his composure, immediately activated the store's security system—a device that releases a dense curtain of smoke and gas, obscuring the view and disorienting the thieves.
Unexpected by such a swift and effective response, the robbers became confused and immediately fled. They ran out of the store without taking a single piece of jewelry, jumped into a waiting car, and quickly fled the scene.
Ofakim police have launched an investigation into the incident. Currently, according to available information, no arrests have been made in the case.
