Pharmacist held at gunpoint

Rustenburg – When a local pharmacist, Louis Combrinck and staff arrived for work at Mega Pharmacy at the Square complex on Monday, 12 February at about 08h00, they were greeted by a patient who was suffering an asthma attack. 

While attending to the patient, Combrinck noticed an armed man with a 9mm pistol. 

In a matter of seconds, two accomplices rounded up the staff members (five) and Combrinck’s daughter into the back office. Combrinck was then forced to his own office by the armed suspect. 

He demanded that the safe be opened; the safe held very little of value and this infuriated the suspect. He then proceeded to assault Combrink first with a Taser (electroshock) and then physically assaulted him. 

The suspects saw a second safe and demanded it too to be opened. This safe, however, has not been used for a number of years and the key’s whereabouts unknown. 

This enraged the armed suspect even more, who then assaulted Combrink’s wife, pointing the pistol against her chest. In a fit, he grabbed a computer and hurled it to the floor.

The three suspects then fled the scene with two cell phones and an undisclosed amount of cash, using a cream coloured Toyota Corolla. The number plate later proved to be from a different vehicle.
“We are shocked by the incident. In the 44 years that I have been in business in Rustenburg, I have never experienced something like this. The criminals are bringing Rustenburg to its knees,” says Louis Combrinck, a pharmacist at Mega Pharmacy.

“Our investigation is on-going and we need to bring these suspects to book,” said captain Elsabè Augoustides, police spokesperson.