TONGA – During a patrol in Block B, in the early hours of the morning, police came across a red Polo Vivo without number plates parked next to a well-known liquor store.
The officers decided to stop and search the driver. He was from Hazyview and had a licensed firearm in his possession.
While they were searching him, they heard a loud bang coming from inside the building. After detaining the suspect in the police van, they rushed to the shop.
Several suspects who were in the store, started firing shots as soon as they saw the police. The officers retaliated, but the suspects managed to flee in a Mercedes-Benz. No one was injured.
The bang that the officers heard was that of explosives used to open the built-in safe. An undisclosed amount of cash and a firearm belonging to the owner of the shop were stolen.
It is suspected that the Polo Vivo was supposed to be a secondary getaway vehicle.
The security guards and petrol attendants from a nearby garage, owned by the same person, were found tied up. They had been overpowered by the suspects before the latter entered the store.
A case of business burglary is being investigated by Tonga SAPS. The Local Criminal Record Centre was called to the scene and managed to obtain fingerprints, which will hopefully help to identify the suspects.
Cartridges for an AK-47 and pistols were found on the scene.
Tonga station commander, Brig Velisiwe Mdaka, congratulated the police on a job well done.
