Exchange office owner describes robbery: A polite question, followed by pepper spray, and a beating

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The owner of an exchange office in Patrisa Lumumbe Street in Belgrade's neighborhood of Karaburma, 65-year-old Z.J., whose business got robbed this morning, recounted for Kurir how the robbers intercepted him and stole his money.

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"I was on my way to work, and a guy was waiting for me in front of the building, asking me how to get to the Big Fashion shopping mall. While I was explaining that to him, he sprayed pepper spray into my eyes, which he had held in his hand," Z.J. said.

At that point, he says, he started running away.

"However, then another attacker caught up with me and started hitting me on the back until I fell down. Then they stole my bag with money. I didn't notice if they were armed," Z.J. recounts the drama and adds that at that moment, he started shouting: "Robbery, robbery!"

"Although there were people in the street, no one even turned around or came to my aid," he says.

Otherwise, Z.J. says this is not the first time he has been targeted by bandits.

"This is not the first robbery, but just another in a series of many that have happened to me in the last few years. There have been about a dozen, the police learned about everything, but no case has been solved, and the attackers have never been found. The first robbery was an attack on the exchange office, when they shuttered the windows with axes and pistols and took the money. After that, they waited for me in front of the building twice, and those times I defended myself. The third was when the robbers broke into the shop and took the entire safe. They broke into my car twice, and also into my apartment. All these robberies are well organized," said the owner, visibly upset.

The latest robbery happened at around 7:40 am, and at around eight o'clock the police arrived at the scene, conducted an investigation and took statements from the injured party, Z.J., and from the witnesses, while footage from surveillance cameras installed on surrounding buildings will also be used.

(Telegraf.rs)