Suspects sought for three armed heists in Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga police are looking for information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects in three separate armed robberies in the province in the past few days – two of them cash-in-transit heists‚ the other a heist of a cigarette cargo in which a security guard was wounded.

In the latest incident‚ a group of armed men on Monday robbed an armoured vehicle at Sakhile community hall which was being used as a pension pay-out point.

“The officials alleged that they were busy preparing to render the pay-out point services when they heard a firearm being cocked and realised that they were under attack. Two men carrying firearms ordered them to lay down on the ground and demanded keys to the safe.

“The robbers managed to disarm some of the guards‚ took four empty canisters and two cash bags with an undisclosed amount of cash. A shoot-out ensued between the guards and the suspects‚ it is believed that one of the suspect was shot however‚ his accomplices managed to take him along‚” said police spokesman Sergeant Gerald Sedibe.

Two firearms believed to be belonging to the suspects were recovered not far from the scene. The robbers were driving a white BMW X5‚ a grey BMW 1 Series and a red VW Golf.

“The grey BMW one Series was later recovered left in Cosmos Park at Sakhile. The vehicle had three empty canisters and one cash bag not opened‚” Sedibe said.

He said that in a separate incident‚ which occurred on Saturday at about 12.30pm‚ Fidelity security guards in an armoured vehicle had just stopped at one of the gas stores in Witbank‚ when they were attacked by a group of men who fired shots at them and robbed them of an undisclosed amount of cash.

The men were driving in three cars‚ a blue Isuzu double cab‚ a silver Mercedes Benz and a white BMW 3 Series. “In a separate incident‚ police are looking for another group of armed men who shot and wounded a Fidelity security guard then proceeded to rob the British American Tobacco (BAT) vehicle of cigarettes.

“Information at police disposal reveals that on Thursday‚ 29 June 2017‚ the Fidelity guards were escorting the BAT’s vehicles heading to Standerton when their convoy was joined by a Toyota Corolla which was parked next to the road.

“The occupants on the Toyota Corolla opened fire at the escort vehicle injuring the driver who in turn lost control of the vehicle. They then forced the driver of the BAT vehicle to pull off the road at gunpoint and he complied. They were soon joined by their accomplices who were driving in a Toyota Quantum.

“They held the BAT staff and the guards at gunpoint and proceeded to load the cigarettes into their (suspects) vehicles‚ the Corolla and Quantum‚” Sedibe said. While the robbery was still in progress‚ a white Isuzu bakkie approached the scene. It was hijacked and the suspects fled the scene in all three cars‚ he said.

“The suspects in the Quantum came across the police and a chase ensued. The thugs then fired shots at the police who retaliated. They then abandoned the Quantum and managed to escape on foot into the nearby bushes. The Isuzu bakkie was also later found abandoned.”

No arrests have been made yet in any of the three cases.

- TimesLIVE