Drop safe robbers abandon bag of wired live explosives

A BAG packed full of wired, live explosives was abandoned in a Port Elizabeth filling station by a gang of armed robbers, with police bomb experts quickly defusing them early yesterday.

The robbers – who had intended to blow open a drop safe – left the explosives-laden tog-bag inside the BP petrol station in Salamntu Street, Kwazakhele, when they were forced to flee after attracting the attention of passers-by.

Police found the bag of explosives and a chisel in the back office of the fuel stop, just metres away from the drop safe, after the men fled at about 6.30am.

This is the fourth filling station in Nelson Mandela Bay targeted by robbers with explosives since the end of December.

The Kwazakhele petrol station and immediate surroundings were evacuated after the bag was found and the Explosives Unit alerted.

Police set up a 30m perimeter around the filling station as a precautionary measure.

By 8.30am, the explosives had all been deactivated.

Police on the scene confirmed that the tog-bag had been packed with commercial grade explosives that were live and wired.

Police spokesman Constable Mncedi Mbombo said the cashier had been ambushed while opening up the filling station.

“It is not a 24-hour garage and opens at about 7am,” he said.

“When the cashier arrived to open the premises, she was forced inside the building by four men carrying firearms.

“A car was parked outside the entrance of the building, with a fifth suspect in the driver’s seat.

“The robbers held the cashier at gunpoint, but told her they did not intend to kill or harm her.”

Mbombo said the robbers, who had brought hammers and chisels with them, had started lining the drop safe with explosives to blow it open.

“Bystanders spotted them and alerted the police,” he said. “In addition, some people had started shouting at the suspects in an attempt to warn them off.

“The driver of the car became anxious and signalled to the four inside the building to drop everything and flee. They sped off before the police arrived.”

Police are investigating a case of attempted robbery.

In December and January, three filling station drop safes were blasted open in the Bay.

In all three cases, the staff were held hostage while the drop safes were blown open. Three or four robbers were involved each time.