Honeydew police and a private security company engaged in a shootout with armed suspects in Cosmo City Ext 7 after the robbery of a courier vehicle in North Riding on 26 August.
Honeydew police spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan said during the late afternoon, two armed suspects robbed the courier vehicle which was making deliveries in the area.
“A nearby security guard, who was alone at the time, saw the incident take place and followed the suspects after they had robbed their victim,” added Muthan.
He said the suspects were travelling in a white Nissan Almera and the security guard followed the vehicle into Cosmo City.
“Along the way, the guard alerted one of our Echo Squad vehicles who joined in following the suspects and it became a chase.”
The suspects’ vehicle crashed into a property wall and they opened fire on the police and security personnel, who retaliated in kind.
“Both suspects attempted to flee the scene, and one suspect was subdued by the police. Unfortunately, the other suspect managed to escape.”
All the stolen goods were recovered and no injuries were reported.
While one suspect remained at large, the arrested suspect would be charged with attempted murder, robbery, possession of stolen property and possession of unlicensed arms and ammunition. He is currently in detention at the Honeydew Police Station.
“We have discovered a trend in similar crimes like this where suspects are posing as an e-hailing taxi service.
There are more delivery vehicles on the road than ever and delivery companies need to be on alert at all times and be aware of being followed by suspicious vehicles.
“We are appealing for information on the other suspect who is believed to be armed and dangerous, and any information can be provided to the Honeydew police or our dedicated Crime Stop hotline.”
Details: Honeydew police 011 801 8400, Crime Stop 08600 10111.
