Among the stolen items were sewing machines and fabric.

Armed robbers over the weekend broke into one of many fashion workshops near Central Bar in the New Bell area of Douala, Cameroon. Tension mounted at about midnight on Saturday March 31, 2012 when the suspected robbers began firing into the air while other gang members ransacked the workshop.

The few people still out were forced to remain silent or lie prostrate at gunpoint until the men of the underworld had completed their operation. Among the items stolen were new machines for hemming, embroidery and sewing as well as fabric and other cloth worth more than a million Francs.

Nearby residents said immediately they heard the sound of gunshots, they put off television and musical sets and stopped making any movements for fear that the thieves would come to them next. An elderly man in the area said armed robbery has become so common, reason why the people did not bother to call the police.