Cops crash in high-speed chase
2008-07-25 10:10
Fanie van Rooyen
Pretoria - Quick reaction by police resulted in the arrest of two armed robbers shortly after a gang of eight robbed the Nedbank branch in the Hillcrest shopping centre in Hatfield on Thursday.
Two robbers who jumped into a blue BMW with two bags of money and sped away from the scene, were chased by police and arrested in Monument Park.
Two police vehicles collided with one another during the chase. The police officers were treated for minor injuries after the collision.
Police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said the robbery took place at about 11:00 on Thursday.
"Between six and eight robbers entered the bank and pretended to be customers," said Weilbach.
"They then ordered two of the cashiers to give them money. They put an unknown amount of money in bags and fled in a blue BMW and a white VW Jetta."
Vehicles, helicopter, dog unit
Weilbach said police were immediately informed of the robbery. Shortly afterwards, the two vehicles were spotted nearby and a police helicopter, the Brooklyn police dog unit and several police vehicles were sent to find the robbers.
Two police vehicles, a Nissan police van and a Nissan Tiida vehicle collided when they wanted to block off the robbers, she said.
Meanwhile more police vehicles chased the blue BMW until its driver lost control of the car.
"The two robbers fled in different directions on foot, but police managed to get them both. Two bags filled with money and one Z88 handgun were found in the BMW.
"The two robbers, aged 35 and 33, are from Yeoville and Hillbrow in Johannesburg. One of the robbers is already being sought in connection with another charge of armed robbery and the other is being sought on a previous charge of bank robbery."
The other robbers who fled in the VW Jetta are still missing.
It was not known on Thursday whether the rest of the robbers got away with more money.
- Beeld