A brave owner of a tuck shop in Tsutsumani Village followed two suspects who had robbed him of cash and goods.
The shopkeeper said two men entered his shop at about 11pm and pointed a firearm at him and his assistant. They ordered the shopkeeper to lie down on the floor while the assistant was taken and locked in another room.
The robbers then helped themselves to money in the till to the tune of R2 000 and airtime, Nokia and Samsung cellphones, all totaling R3 000. They then left the shop without firing any shots.
As the men left the business premises with their loot, the brave owner followed them and waited for a good opportunity to shout for help. When he saw some men approaching in front of the suspects near Jukskei Park in Eastbank, he then shouted for help. A member of the community who was going on his own errand caught one of the suspects by the scruff of the neck. One suspect was caught while the other fled.
Police were called to the scene and arrested the 28-year-old suspect with half the stolen cash was found in his possession, said Alex police spokesperson Warrant Officer Moses Maphakela. He later pointed out his 28-year-old accomplice. The two alleged robbers are expected to appear in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court soon on a charge of armed robbery.
Meanwhile, Maphakela said two suspects aged 22 and 23 were picked up by the police for possession of nyaope.
They too will soon appear in court charged with illegal possession of the drug, which was recently included in the schedule of illegal substances. Before, police could not arrest and prosecute nyaope dealers as the drug had not been scheduled as illegal.
