THE modus operandi of the gang that terrorised Carnival City Casino yesterday morning mirrored that in a string of robberies for which six men were acquitted last week.

The five Zimbabweans and one South African were charged with eight counts of armed robbery as well as murder and attempted murder. At the time of their arrest in October 2010, they were allegedly planning to rob Carnival City Casino in Ekurhuleni.

A group of armed men entered the casino  after midnight yesterday and headed to the vault. They ordered patrons to lie on the floor and used a hammer and a grinder to open the vault. The gang removed an undisclosed amount of money and six patrons were assaulted. A shift manager then called the police.

“When they tried to flee, a shootout ensued between the suspects and police, in which two security guards and one reserve officer, from Brakpan police station, were shot,” Captain Julia Claassen said.

Carnival City said there were between 15 and 25 men, and that they fled in five vehicles. A bakkie used as a getaway vehicle was found abandoned at Dalpark in Brakpan on the East Rand yesterday.

“The tyre burst because police were shooting the tyres as they fled,” Claassen said. The Toyota Hilux bakkie was reported stolen at the Douglasdale police station in October last year.