Police foil armed ATM syndicate
COPS GOT TIP-OFF ABOUT HIT
An armed syndicate was arrested minutes before they bombed an automatic teller machine (ATM) in Ga-Maja outside Lebowakgomo, Limpopo, in the early hours of yesterday morning.
During the scuffle, police shot and killed a 29-year-old man.
Police later recovered a firearm, a Toyota Corolla, a Toyota Legend 45, a police bullet-proof vest, a police reflector jacket and new steel grinder wheels, among other items.
Spokesperson for the police in Limpopo Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said they received a tip-off from members of the community about a planned move to bomb an ATM in Ga-Maja.
“Police reacted swiftly and subsequently the crime syndicate was intercepted,” said Ngoepe.
“The suspects were ordered to pull off the road while en-route to the targeted ATM but did not budge and started to shoot at the police. Police returned fire and one of the suspects was fatally shot. Four of the suspects, between the ages of 32 and 51, were arrested while six others fled the scene in a VW Polo,” he said.
The suspects will appear in the Lebowakgomo Magistrate’s Court on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition and possession of police uniform.
Meanwhile, members of the Tactical Response Team, Public Order Police and the K9 Unit, supported by the South African National Defence Force, arrested a 28-year-old man after recovering a white Mercedes-Benz stuck in the middle of the Limpopo River.
The vehicle was allegedly stolen in Durban and belonged to a rental company. It was allegedly being smuggled into Zimbabwe when it was recovered.
The operation, mainly along the border gates at Phafuri, Beitbridge and Pontdrift, also recovered a Range Rover valued at R900 000, among other vehicles. –