Thieves dig tunnel into South African liquor shop to steal alcohol

Thieves in South Africa tunnelled into a liquor shop in Johannesburg, during the ban on the sale of alcohol imposed as part of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

Those restrictions have now been partially lifted.

The manager of Shoprite LiquorShop only discovered the theft on Friday, when she returned to the shop to prepare to re-open on Monday.

The thieves used the electrical and storm-water tunnels beneath the Newtown Junction shopping centre and then broke through the solid concrete floor, leaving a hole, as one South African news site showed.

They then returned a few times to steal whiskey, brandy, gin, cider, vodka and beer with an estimated value of 300,000 South African rand ($17,000; £14,000).

#BoozeBreakIn A Shoprite Liquorshop in Newtown Junction, Johannesburg was robbed in bizarre fashion by thieves who tunnelled through a solid concrete floor to gain access to steal R300,000 worth of alcohol. pic.twitter.com/HsXgNA8AV9

— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 1, 2020