One held, others on run as robbers hit Kowie mall

A SUSPECTED cash-in-transit robber is in custody and several others are on the run after a brazen daylight heist at Port Alfred’s busy Rosehill Mall yesterday afternoon.

At least four armed robbers were involved while others waited in a getaway vehicle, police said, appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

The robbers hit G4S Security guards as they were loading money into an ATM at the centre at about 1pm, police spokesman Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula said.

“Two security guards were ambushed at the ATMs,” he said.

“The robbers took their firearms, cellphones and an undisclosed amount of money.

“The two guards were tied up and as the four men fled out of the centre, the driver of the cash-in-transit vehicle gave chase by charging at them with the truck.”

During the chase, the robbers opened fire on the armoured vehicle, before throwing the money bags into a nearby getaway car.

“The other robbers did not have time to get into the getaway car,” Mjekula said.

“In their attempted escape, they then tried to hijack another vehicle that was approaching the centre.”

Mjekula said the robbers failed to hijack the vehicle as the driver refused to stop and sped off.

Those robbers then fled into the nearby bushes. Minutes later, responding police officials launched a search for the men.

“As police were searching the area, a man was caught hiding in the nearby bush,” Mjekula said.

The man claimed to have been hijacked, but was arrested.