BOIPATONG. – A gang of heavily armed men struck a local Pick n Pay supermarket in Section 1 of Boipatong during the early hours of the morning.
According to police, the group of armed men launched their burglary with a storm of gunfire aimed at intimidating any onlookers or potential witnesses.
The streets surrounding the supermarket were also swept by the armed gang, leaving residents cowered in their homes, fearing for their safety.
Eyewitnesses report hearing three deafening explosions ripping through the air shortly after the initial gunfire going off, leaving some windows broken.
The blasts marked the moment when the attackers successfully breached the two ATMs located inside the store, making off with an undisclosed sum of cash before fleeing the scene.
Boipatong police spokeswoman, Sergeant Thembeka Maxambela, confirmed the events, describing how officers responded to reports of ATM bombing at the Pick n Pay in Sector 1.
“Upon arrival, law enforcement officials found the supermarket’s entrance blasted open, and its interior ravaged by the explosive force used to access the cash machines,” she said.
Maxambela said among the vehicles caught in the crossfire was a Taalyard meter taxi, miraculously escaping without injury to their occupants despite being fired upon by the gang.
Police are now faced with a multiple investigations, including charges of ATM bombing, business break-in, attempted murder, and malicious damage to property.
