Four nabbed for ATM bombing, robbery
Police have arrested four suspects linked to a foiled ATM bombing and armed robbery at a KwaMashu mall.
|||Durban - Police have arrested four suspects linked to Wednesday morning’s foiled ATM bombing and armed robbery at Bridge City Shopping Mall in KwaMashu.
One has was dead in the KwaMashu police station charge office after he was arrested and a second man is in hospital after he was arrested at a local clinic where he had sought treatment for bullet wounds. The other two are in police custody.
The drama unfolded at about 1am when a group of armed men walked into the mall banking section, which is linked to the Bridge City train station, and allegedly set up explosive devices at an ATM.
Security guards in the mall spotted them and alerted their command centre.
Meanwhile, another group stole an eThekwini Municipality truck carrying sand parked at a construction site near the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court.
The men reversed the truck and parked it across the intersection of Bridge City Boulevard and Nogwaja Street, to block off police, who they anticipated would arrive.
The men had their getaway SUV parked outside the mall entrance. Other men were on the lookout in Bhejane Road at the side of the mall.
Police officers who arrived at the scene were lucky to escape with their lives when they came under fire.
After the attempt to blow up the ATM was foiled, the men walked into a grocery store inside the mall and held up staff working night shift in the store bakery.
The staff reportedly took cover under shelves and on the bakery floor.
The men loaded cigarettes from the front counter into a shopping trolley. By then armed reaction guards and police had arrived and a gun battle ensued.
A police minibus entering from Bhejane Road and a police van were sprayed with bullets by the robbers who were running in all directions.
The getaway vehicle, riddled with bullet holes, was abandoned outside the mall. The men were prevented from driving off.
Police and security chased the men on foot and more shots were exchanged, with the robbers splitting up. When the Daily News arrived at the entrance to the Bridge City train station, police had marked more than 15 bullet casings.
Police were still piecing together Wednesday morning’s incident, but believe the men targeted the ATMs at the mall because it is month end.
Two of the alleged robbers sought treatment for their bullet wounds at a nearby clinic in KwaMashu.
They were arrested there by police.
Just hours after the incident police had arrested a total of four men in connection with the robbery.
At 10am one of the robbers was allegedly shot dead inside the KwaMashu police station.
It is alleged that a policeman was taking down his statement when the robber tried to disarm him. The policeman is said to have defended himself and shot the robber.
Police crime scene investigators were still at the scene of the shooting later on Wednesday morning and had cordoned off the area.
Daily News