Seven suspects who were part of a gang apparently planning to hold up a supermarket in Ogies in Mpumalanga were arrested in the early hours of Thursday after a shootout with police.
Five of the suspects were wounded during the shootout and have been hospitalised under police guard‚ police spokesman Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said.
“In the early hours of this morning‚ the Provincial Tracking Team together with the Tactical Response Team (TRT) acted on information regarding a business robbery which was supposed to be committed in one of the Supermarkets at Ogies. Swift action by dedicated police led to the arrest of seven suspects and the confiscation of five firearms.
“The arrest of the thugs came as a result of police going to the identified supermarket based on information received where they found a group of armed men. Immediately when the men noticed the police‚ they opened fire at them and police were compelled to retaliate. They managed to corner and arrest seven of the group members‚ confiscating five firearms while some managed to abscond the scene in the process‚” Hlathi said.
“Out of the seven suspects‚ five were wounded during the shootout and therefore had to be hospitalised under police guard‚ whilst two are in police custody. All the suspects are facing cases of attempted business robbery‚ attempted murder‚ possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
“The team of men in blue further seized a white getaway motor vehicle of the suspects which was mounted with wrong number plates. The vehicle was loaded with equipment which is used in the commission of housebreakings‚” Hlathi added.
A manhunt is underway for other members of the gang who managed to evade arrest‚ he said.
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