Suspects found 'within hours'

2008-02-05 14:08

Johannesburg - Four men accused of robbing a Sebokeng business were cornered only hours after the robbery, Vaal Rand police said on Tuesday.

Superintendent Maria Mazibuko said four men entered a Sebokeng business on Monday at 17:00 and robbed it of a substantial amount of cash and cartons of cigarettes.

Employees were robbed of their cellphones.

The robbers then fled.

Employees alerted police and followed the gang to their hideout at Sebokeng hostel 3. Police arrived on the scene and a shootout between police and the robbers followed.

One robber was shot and killed and another was shot in the leg and wounded.

The other two robbers were arrested.

All the robbers were in their twenties, said Mazibuko.

The money, cigarette cartons and three employees' cellphones were recovered along with three 9mm pistols belonging to the robbers.

The alleged robbers came from the Eastern Cape earlier this year and police have linked them to a number of business robberies in and around the De Deur area.

Two of the robbers are expected to appear before the Sebokeng Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on charges of possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, business robbery and attempted murder of police officers, said Mazibuko.

- SAPA