Robbers broke in the safe room of the FNB Stadium in a daring heist on the night of Bieber's concert and took off with the money undetected.
- May 14, 2013
AceShowbiz - Justin Bieber's successful concert in Johannesburg, South Africa was marred by news of a carefully-planned criminal heist taking place at the venue where he held the gig. While all eyes were on stage Sunday night, May 12, as he rocked FNB Stadium, the safe room somewhere inside the building was ransacked and the money stored in it was stolen.
According to E! News, $300,000 in cash reportedly from both Bieber's show and Bon Jovi's concert the day before was robbed. Management and concert promoters only found out about the break-in Monday morning, and the place was immediately put on lockdown as police, forensic experts and security company officials searched for clues into the daring heist.
Early reports suggested that the robbers might have spent days hammering the thick walls before finally breaking through, lowering themselves by ropes, and entering the room where the cash was being stored. Investigators also said the robbery might be an inside job as they noted that one could easily get a fake security guard certification for only $850.
"The suspect had gained entry through the roof," Katlego Mogale, a spokeswoman for the Booysens police station in Soweto told Sky News. "They broke the tile...of the bathroom between last night [Sunday] after the concert, and this morning." Investigations were focused on the security working ahead of the Bieber and Bon Jovi concerts.
"You could have very good people, and then the last 50 of 300 or 400 guards are simply just bodies," said the stadium's manager, Jacques Grobbelaar. "This is a concern that we continuously address."
Meanwhile, the concert promoter refused to give any comment, "In the interest of safety and security of our staff and in the light of an ongoing investigation, Big Concerts will not comment further on this incident."
As for Bieber, he took to Twitter to thank his fans who had come to his show without mentioning the robbery, "Glad to chill for a few days. gonna take it easy. that was an amazing tour. thanks to all the fans around the world. #grateful to all of u."
