POLICE have arrested a man after an armed robbery on Umhlanga Rocks Drive in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The suspect and two of his accomplices, driving a Mercedes Benz, had been involved the hold up of two security guards as well as the theft of a Toyota Hilux at about 4.30am.
According to Capt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North police station, the suspects were spotted driving at high-speed on the M25 going towards KwaMashu when police intercepted.
“The suspects had robbed two security guards of their cell phones and radios when they stole the vehicle from a building on Umhlanga Rocks Drive. They then stole a vehicle parked at the building. Following the theft of the Hilux, the description and registration of the vehicle was circulated and members of the Phoenix police task team intercepted both vehicles after a high-speed chase and brought them to a halt. The suspects in the Hilux stopped the car on Malendela Road and jumped into the bushes. The suspect in the Mercedes was arrested on the spot.
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“Police discovered that both vehicles had been fitted with false number plates which had been stuck on top of the original. A police radio was also recovered from the suspects. The two suspects who got away were allegedly in possession of two handguns used in the commission of the armed robbery,” he said.
Deokaran added police are investigating whether the suspect is linked to other crimes in the area.
The incident comes more than a week after a house break-in in Sunningdale where a police radio as well as several firearms were recovered following a shootout at a Chris Hani Road (North Coast) service station.
