Sixth ATM blasted in 3 days

2008-04-05 19:11

Johannesburg - Robbers have blasted open yet another automatic teller machine (ATM), bringing to six the number bombed in the past three days alone.

In the latest attack, a gang targeted the ATM at a fresh produce market in Elsburg, Germiston, at 01:30 on Saturday, said police spokesperson Captain Mack Mngomezulu.

They held up a security guard at the Green Valley Farmhouse, in Osborne Road, and disarmed him, he said.

"They then used commercial explosives to blow up the machine and got away with an undisclosed amount of money."

Mngomezulu said the guard saw a red Toyota Conquest and silver Toyota Corolla parked outside just before the incident.

No arrests had been made and the East Rand organised crime unit was investigating.

More arrests

The bombing also follows the arrests, on Wednesday and Thursday, of three North West policemen for blasting an ATM in Jouberton, near Klerksdorp.

Police saw a white BMW fleeing the scene, gave chase and were shot at, police said at the time.

They arrested one of the policemen - a 26-year-old Constable from Mogwase - as he tried to run away after the vehicle came to a stop in a field.

The other two were arrested the next day. One of them was a 30-year-old Klerksdorp detective-constable. Another two men arrested later included a 30-year-old constable in the Mogwase uniformed division.

Police were still looking for a sixth man.

On Friday, an ATM was bombed in Diepkloof near Orlando at 4am. No-one was injured and no money taken.

Just three hours earlier, a Standard Bank ATM was bombed in Tembisa. there were also injuries in this incident, but the robbers did get away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

At the same time in Daveyton, the FNB ATM near the KMR Stores was blasted open and 40 minutes later, an Absa ATM was bombed in Soweto using commercial explosives. The robbers also took cash in this incident.

On Thursday, an undisclosed amount of money was taken from an ATM blown open in Naledi, Soweto.

- SAPA