Cartier Watch Stolen in Bryanston Boutique by ‘Family’ Posing as Customers

Quiet criminals in traditional attire stun boutique owner with calculated theft

It looked like just another day at Love Maison 33, a luxury boutique tucked away in Bryanston, Johannesburg. But what unfolded inside the quiet showroom shocked its owner and set social media abuzz. A seemingly ordinary family, dressed in traditional attire, walked in to browse designer watches. Within minutes, they had stolen a Cartier timepiece worth R150,000, then apologised and sent minors back to return it.

Sourced: IOL

Caught on camera, shared on social media

CCTV footage shows two women seated inside the boutique, dressed in modest traditional clothing, one of them in a black abaya and headscarf. While a man stands nearby, the women engage in friendly chatter with the sales assistant. In a swift move almost too fast for the eye, one woman reaches over, grabs the Cartier watch, and hides it in her abaya, slipping it between her legs. The assistant, oblivious, continues the conversation.

The footage was later posted on social media by Zayan Latib, the owner of Love Maison 33, a family-run business. She said she was devastated by the incident.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Latib told media. “They presented themselves as a quiet, polite family. I didn’t feel threatened, which made it even more disturbing.”

From Dubai or so they claimed

Latib said the group of five, including a young girl, had claimed to be from Dubai and only wanted to view the store’s watch collection. She recalled feeling a bit uneasy about how specific their request was but didn’t think much of it.

“One of them asked about the price of another item, and the moment I turned my head, she snatched the Cartier watch,” Latib said. “The watch didn’t have a tag on it, so we didn’t notice anything until they had already left and started running toward a getaway vehicle.”

The boutique, known for its curated designer collections, had never encountered a theft of this nature before. “It was so calm, so subtle,” Latib said. “They didn’t yell, they didn’t threaten. That’s what made it chilling.”

Public shaming leads to quick return

What happened next speaks volumes about the power of social media in crime prevention. Anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee shared the boutique’s CCTV footage online—and it spread like wildfire. Within 30 minutes, the suspects phoned the store to apologise and sent two minors to return the stolen watch.

Abramjee believes the group is part of a travelling theft syndicate. “They use charm, distraction and clothing to lower suspicion,” he said. “They’re involved in similar thefts, acting like buyers while stealing high-value items.”

No charges, yet

Surprisingly, no criminal case has been opened. Latib said her priority was recovering the stolen item and improving store security. “We’re a small, family-run boutique. This shook us. But we’ve learned and already taken steps to prevent anything like this from happening again.”

A lesson for Joburg retailers

In a city where high-end retail faces rising threats from both organised crime and petty theft, this story serves as a warning: sometimes danger walks in wearing a smile and traditional attire.

Locals on social media weighed in, with many praising Latib’s calm handling of the situation. Others called for justice and expressed concern over the use of minors in the crime.

“The criminals weren’t just stealing watches—they were stealing trust,” one user posted.

The Bryanston Cartier theft wasn’t a smash-and-grab, nor was it a gunpoint heist. It was a cold, calculated con pulled off by people dressed to disarm suspicion. And though the watch was returned, the sense of safety may take much longer to recover.

{Source: IOL}

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