• Last week three men robbed the iStore in Woodlands Mall.
• One suspect was apprehended but three others are at large.
• The thieves made off with iPhones, iPads and Macs which have been disabled using remote management software.

Last week the iStore in Woodlands Mall in Pretoria was robbed at gunpoint. According to the retailer, three men entered the store and stole iPhones, iPads, and Mac products which were on display.

The layout of an iStore is rather open. While not on the same level as some of Apple’s other stores, the local storefronts are rather bright and open and we’ve always wondered how they’d deal with products being stolen.

As it turns out, the thieves who made off with Apple tech last week now have a pile of useless junk as all devices in an iStore are fitted with remote management software. If the devices are stolen, they can be disabled remotely. Powering on such a device will display a message that reads, “This is a stolen device, please return to iStore”.

But it’s unlikely that the thieves stole these devices for themselves. It’s more likely that these stolen goods will be sold to unsuspecting buyers who believe they’re getting a good deal on a smartphone.

“iStore is consistently approached by unsuspecting customers that have purchased used Apple products that are either remote locked or network sim locked and as a result unusable. Customers should be extremely cautious to always buy Apple devices from trustworthy sources with certification and warranties. If the price seems too good to be true it usually is,” chief executive officer at iStore, Chris Dodd said in a statement.

While one person tied to the robbery was arrested, iStore is still searching for three others pictured below.

“There were 3 suspects in the store, a possible get away and other look outs. One suspect was caught,” iStore said in an email to Hypertext.

There is a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspects involved in the robbery. Anybody with information should contact Sgt Motau on 066 191 7907. Confidentiality is assured.

Unfortunately, if you have an iPhone or another Apple device that has been disabled, the best you can do is report the person who sold the device to you to the iStore as it’s unlikely they will enable stolen goods.