Cop among four arrested with police handguns after Stellenbosch robbery

A Hout Bay police officer was one of four suspects arrested after an armed robbery in Stellenbosch on Wednesday night.

The officer and three accomplices allegedly robbed a petrol station convenience store in Bird Street at gunpoint. 

The suspects tried to make a quick getaway in a gold Toyota Avanza but Stellenbosch police gave chase.

The police stopped the getaway vehicle in Somerset West and four men aged between 30 and 40 were arrested.

Police confiscated two 9mm firearms, both of which are weapons routinely issued to police officers.

"Once charged, the suspects are due to make a court appearance in Stellenbosch," said police spokesperson Lieut-Col Andrè Traut. 

"The provincial commissioner of the Western Cape, Lt-Gen KE Jula, praised the Stellenbosch members for their vigilance and speedy response and welcomed the arrest of the perpetrators," said Traut. "He said there was no place for police officers who lived a double life as criminals."