ATMs bombed and security fired upon
Robbers made off with an undisclosed sum of cash during the early hours of Monday September 26.
Eight suspects targeted the Total Garage and Steers complex in De Clerq Street.
The management of the centre thanked Sun Security for their quick response and assistance.
The Capitec and the Absa ATMs inside the convenience store were blown up.
According to police spokesperson, Capt Kaizer Moela, the police arrived on the scene after they were alerted of the bombing by Sun Security.
A cashier, petrol attendant and security guard were found on the scene. The cashier told the police that she had been sitting outside the shop and that she must have been hit over the head.
“She confirmed that the eight suspects’ faces were covered with balaclavas.
They dragged her into the shop and ordered her to open the safe. She was sitting outside the convenience store on the porch at the time,” said Moela.
The suspects instructed her to lie down. The petrol attendant and a man fixing his broken vehicle in the street were also forced at gunpoint to lie down next to her.
The victims said the suspects were heavily armed.
The cashier and the other three hostages heard gunshots and a loud explosion.
Nine-millimetre cartridges and rifle cartridges were found on the scene.
The cash boxes that were broken open were found in Viljoen Street later on Monday morning by Sun Security.
The Lydenburg SAPS have appealed for information that may lead to an arrest and further investigation. Contact the station on 013 235 2222 or 013 235 2223.
Also read: Heavy vehicles block town’s entrances
