Police patrol foils armed robbery attempt at electrical substation
Five armed suspects fled the scene without stealing any cables after spotting a police vehicle during a routine patrol.
A group of armed robbers fled empty-handed after their attempt to rob an electrical substation was foiled by a passing police patrol.
The incident happened at around 07:00 on May 19 at a facility located next to the railway line.
A 49-year-old security guard and her colleague were inside their guard room when five unknown men stormed the premises.
The criminals pulled out firearms and threatened the guards, demanding their mobile phones and pepper spray.
One of the suspects, who all spoke isiZulu, stayed behind to watch over the captive guards.
Meanwhile, his accomplices moved into the rest of the substation, equipped with a grinder and a saw, to start stealing cables.
However, the suspects’ plans were cut short when a police vehicle passed by the facility on a routine patrol.
Spotting the officers, the robbers panicked and fled before they could steal any of the cables.
