Pretoria – Five police officers and two Fidelity security guards were shot and wounded during a botched cash-in-transit robbery in Rustenburg on Thursday that left one suspect dead.
SAPS spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said the police officers, who are members of the Rustenburg Flying Squad and the K9 Unit, followed up on information received about a cash-in-transit robbery that was to take place in Geelhoutpark, Rustenburg.
“The police were on high alert while patrolling the area. As they were driving along Watsonia Road, they came across the active scene of a CIT robbery. The suspects fired shots towards the police vehicles and the members retaliated. An unknown number of suspects got into their getaway vehicles and fled the scene,” said Muridili.
The police gave chase until the Tlhabane shopping centre, where another shoot-out ensued, during which the five police officers were wounded and one suspect was killed.
“At the scene of the robbery, two security guards were also injured during the shoot-out,” said Muridili.
“The province has instituted the 72-hour activation plan to ensure that all role players are roped in to investigate and trace the perpetrators.”
National police commissioner General Khehla John Sitole commended the police officers for their bravery.
The SAPS on Friday appealed to community members with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects to call the Crime Stop number 08600 10111 or to send a tip-off on MySAPS App.
African News Agency (ANA)