Durban — Residents have been warned to be on the lookout after it has been claimed that criminals are now melting sliding door handles to gain access to homes.
In a Facebook post by Rachel Vadi she said she received news of two incidents in Phoenix where criminals gained entry into homes by melting the sliding door handles.
Vadi made the post on Friday.
She said that one incident occurred on Wednesday, and in the second incident on Thursday, the sliding door handle was completely melted away.
“In both incidents, items were stolen from the homes. However, no-one was injured,” Vadi said.
“Residents, please be aware of this. I know many of us keep the gates or burglar guards open because we feel the sliding door is safe when closed. If you have a gate for your sliding door, please keep it locked when not in use,” she warned.
eThekwini SAPS outer north cluster chairperson, Umesh Singh said he also saw the notice and the pictures accompanying it circulating on social media.
Singh said he was unaware of anyone who had gone through it.
He said that it takes a lot of heat to melt sliding door handles.
“To do it you will need a decent enough flame,” Singh said.
He also said that it also had a smell of fumes from the melting.
Singh called on residents to be on the lookout.
He also called on those who had experienced such to go to the police station and open a case.
Daily News