|
3 bank robbers killed in 'mini-war'
04/04/2007 23:38 - (SA)
, Beeld
Pretoria - Seven heavily armed robbers who took on a bank in Irene, Centurion, on Wednesday were surprised to find cops just about everywhere when they tried to escape.
Three died and four were wounded, three seriously, when they were tackled by some of the best units in the police in what was described as a "mini-war".
The drama began at 14:10 when the gang robbed First National Bank in Eco Park, Irene, of an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police said the robbers were armed with AK-47s and pistols, including two police service ones.
Sounded the alarm
Inspector Katlego Mogale said no one else was injured during the bank robbery.
She said the bank staff managed to sound the alarm shortly after the men fled, and Lyttelton police responded immediately.
At that stage, the national intervention unit and members of a task force were co-incidentally deployed at roadblocks on either side of Nellmapius Drive.
The two groups heard about the robbery on the police radio, and jumped in to help.
A member of the intervention unit said: "We drove towards the robbers, and they weren't so lucky this time, because we were everywhere."
Meanwhile, an unsuspecting Gawie Grobler of Johannesburg was driving in an easterly direction behind the robbers in Nellmapius Drive.
He realised something was wrong only when the robbers started shooting.
Cops came right at them
"I was driving behind them when they stopped dead in their tracks and started firing. I managed to stop about 15 metres behind their minibus."
"They peeled out of their vehicle waving pistols and AK-47s, and fired at the police who were coming at them from the front."
Grobler said the robbers ran into the bush with the police in hot pursuit, while a helicopter circled overhead. "I was in the army and it sounded like a mini-war," he said.
Windscreen was smashed
Another witness, who did not want to be named, said he was driving along next to the minibus when all hell broke loose.
"I jumped out and hid under my car until the shooting stopped."
His BMW's windscreen was smashed and the car's bodywork was damaged.
Mogale said seven firearms were found at the scene. "The police also recovered all the money."
One of the robbers who was killed had a stash of R50 notes in his shirt and pants.
Two robbers died during the confrontation and a third, who was taken to Pretoria Academic Hospital with a head wound, died later.
Police congratulated
Three other robbers are being treated for body and leg wounds, under police guard. A seventh robber had a superficial wound and is in custody.
Commissioner André Pruis, national deputy chief of police, who arrived shortly after the confrontation, congratulated the police in person. "We said we were going to target robbers and that's exactly what we did here.
If they want to rob, they will see what happens to them," was his message.
- Beeld
|
News
