ATM bomber gang is on the loose
It was highly likely they were the same suspects who had attempted to bomb Jathira filling station's ATM machine near Barberton on August 16.
MBOMBELA – Members of an ATM bomber gang using a silver-grey Nissan Murano are believed to be on a crime spree and connected to a similar previous incident.
They are said to have struck again on Monday when they bombed the drop safe of the Puma filling station near Alkmaar at around 02:15.
According to J&M Security’s Shaun Terblanche, six men, two armed with R5s and four carrying handguns, gathered the staff and forced them inside the shop. “They forced the cleaning lady to fill their car with petrol while they placed explosives onto the drop safe. They also took all the panic buttons and staff members’ cellphones.”
They blasted the safe and fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money. Terblanche said it took them exactly seven minutes to do the job.
Read more here: BREAKING NEWS: Jathira Fuel Station hit by armed robbers
He said it was highly likely they were the same suspects who had attempted to bomb Jathira filling station’s ATM machine near Barberton on August 16.
There were four suspects seen at the incident driving a Nissan Murano with the same description.
One was armed with what looked like an R5, and two others had 9mm handguns on them. The men held up the staff at gunpoint while they attempted to bomb the ATM in the shop. The bombing attempt failed, and they fled after cleaning out the till.
Terblanche added that they recovered the Nissan Murano yesterday. It was abandoned about two kilometres from the filling station on the N4 towards Mbombela.
Local police are investigating another armed robbery after an employee of West Pack Lifestyle Centre was attacked on Sunday afternoon.
According to police, he was locking up the store at around 15:00. He had already let the other staff out of another door when a man attacked him with a knife at the front door.
According to police spokesman Capt Dawie Pretorius, he was assaulted, injured on the head and somehow locked in the elevator near the store entrance. “We think there were more suspects involved in this robbery, as he could hear more than one person in the store.”
The suspect got away with a cellphone, the staff member’s car keys, the store keys, an undisclosed amount of cash and items from the store.
CSG Hi-Tech Lowveld responded to the scene. Response manager, Callum MacPherson said one of their security officers took the victim to hospital. “He was in a state of shock and could not tell us at that time exactly what had happened.”
West Pack Lifestyle Centre management declined to comment.
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