TWO police officers were among 11 suspects arrested on Saturday night after a tip-off from the SAPS National Crime Intelligence resulted in a foiled business robbery in Bryanston.
A multi-disciplinary team in Gauteng comprising members from the National Crime Intelligence, Provincial Specific Crime, Fidelity Specific Services, CAP Security Services, Johannesburg Flying Squad, K9 Unit, Johannesburg Metro Police, Tactical Response Team, and Special Task Force set up an observation close to the target, a diamond outlet, from midday.
SAPS spokesperson Brenda Muridili said: “At about 20.30 the team identified three vehicles driving towards the target place, one of them a marked police bakkie. The suspects got out of the vehicles and the police approached, but then the suspects started shooting at the police.
“The members returned fire and subsequently arrested 11 suspects, two of them with gunshot wounds on their legs. None of the team members were injured. Three of the police’s vehicles are bullet riddled.”
During the arrest the police seized three firearms – a rifle and two pistols, and two vehicles including the marked police bakkie, Muridili said.
She said the suspects would appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on December 8 on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession of suspected stolen vehicles, and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
“This multi-disciplinary team is also responsible for the arrest on Friday of four suspects believed to be part of a syndicate linked to a string of robberies in the province where courier vehicles are targeted.
“The suspects at the time of the arrest were allegedly on their way to commit a robbery in Fourways, as per information received from Crime Intelligence. They were found with two unlicensed firearms, a jammer, and a Toyota Prado that had been hijacked in Eldorado Park.
Police in Gauteng arrest suspects believed to be behind courier vehicles robberies and recover unlicensed firearms...
Posted by South African Police Service on Friday, December 4, 2020
“All the unlicensed firearms will be taken for ballistic tests to determine whether they were used to commit other crimes.
“The arrested police members, a detective sergeant stationed in Kempton Park and an administration clerk from Springs FCS will also be subjected to a departmental disciplinary investigation,” Muridili said.