While most East Londoners were sleeping peacefully during the early hours yesterday, four heavily armed robbers walked into a filling station, drilled a safe from the ground and made off with thousands of rands.
The Hollywood-like heist played out at an Engen filling station not far from the East London Airport.
The 15-minute event, executed by the four men armed with high-calibre firearms, left two people injured and three vehicles damaged.
The Directorate of Priority Crimes and Investigation, the Hawks, has taken over the case, according to spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni.
At 3.45am the four men walked into the filling station and rounded up staff members.
They approached the station’s floor-mounted safe, according to manager Nceba Ntlantsana.
“They were all armed with big guns like AK47s. They shot a lot of live rounds leaving the staff traumatised,” said Ntlantsana. “They were armed with every tool and they managed to remove the heavy safe from the ground,” he recounted.
The Dispatch understands the four men, who are still at large, had walked into the filling station’s forecourt 15 minutes earlier and approached a motorist who had parked his car on the property.
There was a scuffle and man was shot in a leg.
“It looked like he was refusing to let go of his car keys.
“He was shot and then dragged inside the shop,” said Ntlantsana.
Once inside the shop, the robbers ordered everyone to lie down on the floor.
A few minutes later a security company responded but the guard was accosted and dragged into the shop too.
A second security vehicle arrived and, according to Ntlantsana, shots were fired towards the vehicle.
“The guard managed to drive away but his vehicle was damaged.
“He was hit in the back but he was saved by his bulletproof vest,” said Ntlantsana.
A safe, which was mounted on the floor, was then removed.
None of the station’s staff were injured.
“The cellphones were left behind. We also didn’t see their getaway vehicle but they made off with a Toyota Avanza which was driven by a customer,” he said.
East London police said that by the time they arrived at the filling station, shortly after being informed of the robbery, the men were long gone and they could only collect spent cartridges found scattered in the station’s forecourt.
East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said the Avanza used to flee the scene was recovered on the N2 near Komga by the East London Flying Squad.
The filling station was reopened to the public a few hours later. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Two injured in armed robbery at EL garage
The Hollywood-like heist played out at an Engen filling station not far from the East London Airport.
The 15-minute event, executed by the four men armed with high-calibre firearms, left two people injured and three vehicles damaged.
The Directorate of Priority Crimes and Investigation, the Hawks, has taken over the case, according to spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni.
At 3.45am the four men walked into the filling station and rounded up staff members.
They approached the station’s floor-mounted safe, according to manager Nceba Ntlantsana.
“They were all armed with big guns like AK47s. They shot a lot of live rounds leaving the staff traumatised,” said Ntlantsana. “They were armed with every tool and they managed to remove the heavy safe from the ground,” he recounted.
The Dispatch understands the four men, who are still at large, had walked into the filling station’s forecourt 15 minutes earlier and approached a motorist who had parked his car on the property.
There was a scuffle and man was shot in a leg.
“It looked like he was refusing to let go of his car keys.
“He was shot and then dragged inside the shop,” said Ntlantsana.
Once inside the shop, the robbers ordered everyone to lie down on the floor.
A few minutes later a security company responded but the guard was accosted and dragged into the shop too.
A second security vehicle arrived and, according to Ntlantsana, shots were fired towards the vehicle.
“The guard managed to drive away but his vehicle was damaged.
“He was hit in the back but he was saved by his bulletproof vest,” said Ntlantsana.
A safe, which was mounted on the floor, was then removed.
None of the station’s staff were injured.
“The cellphones were left behind. We also didn’t see their getaway vehicle but they made off with a Toyota Avanza which was driven by a customer,” he said.
East London police said that by the time they arrived at the filling station, shortly after being informed of the robbery, the men were long gone and they could only collect spent cartridges found scattered in the station’s forecourt.
East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said the Avanza used to flee the scene was recovered on the N2 near Komga by the East London Flying Squad.
The filling station was reopened to the public a few hours later. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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