Police launch manhunt for gang in Mahube Valley ATM bombing

Police have launched a manhunt for eight perpetrators in connection with an ATM bombing at a BP garage in Mahube Valley, Mamelodi, in the early hours of July 24.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk said the incident happened on Wednesday at 01:30.

He said according to the preliminary report, BP garage personnel saw between seven and eight men entering the store at the petrol station.

“They were armed with handguns and high calibre weapons,” said Van Dyk.

He said they held the personnel at gunpoint and ordered them to get out of the shop, took them outside, and instructed them to lie on the ground.

After a few minutes, they heard a loud explosion and saw the perpetrators flee the scene with bags.

While the perpetrators were running from the scene, they were shooting to scare people off.

“After the perpetrators left the scene, people came and looted the shop and took a lot of items, and ran away,” said Van Dyk.

After the explosion, the electricity also went out in the Mahube area, which left the area without power.

Van Dyk said the complainant did not see the perpetrators using any vehicle to flee the scene.

“The perpetrators bombed the drop safe from outside of the shop, therefore some of the money bags were still in the drop safe, but badly damaged,” he said.

He added that an undisclosed amount of cash was taken and that the value of property taken is unknown at the moment.

All leads are being followed up and the police request anyone with information to come forward and contact Mamelodi East SAPS.

All information will be treated as confidential.

WATCH:

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram