Armed gang targets Randgate shop: One arrested, five at large
Five robbers, some of them armed, entered a shop in Randgate and held staff at gunpoint on Monday.
A man was apprehended following an armed robbery at a business in Bailey Street, Randgate on August 14. Five others are still at large.
According to Mapogo A Mathamaga’s operations manager Danie Vermeulen, the armed robbery resulted in a high-speed chase from Randfontein to Protea Glen in Soweto, where the suspect was eventually cornered and apprehended.
Vermeulen said five robbers entered a shop at about 08:41 and held staff members at gunpoint.
“One of them was waiting outside in a getaway car. It was during this time that our control room received a phone call and a panic signal from a neighbouring shop. Our armed reaction units were immediately dispatched to the scene and upon arrival, they spotted the suspects running from the shop and getting into a vehicle waiting close by. They then sped off and a high-speed chase ensued with our tactical unit,” said Vermeulen.
He added that the robber was intercepted by another Mapogo response unit on Main Reef Road in the Randfontein CBD where a shootout between the robbers and response unit ensued. It was during this time that the suspects raced off and turned onto Zuurbekom Road towards Soweto, causing two minor crashes in their attempt to escape.
At this stage, police joined in on the chase and the armed robbers turned into a suburb in Protea Glen and tried to evade capture by jumping out of the getaway vehicle. One armed robber was apprehended but the others managed to get away.
Most of the items taken in the robbery, including jewellery, were also recovered from the abandoned vehicle.
In addition, Mapogo also responded to three crime incidents on August 8. Vermeulen said there were two of trespassing and theft and one of a business break-in and theft in Greenhills, Aureus and Helikonpark respectively.
They also responded to another incident of trespassing and theft in Aureus on August 13.
