A robbery in the smart suburban centre of Grahamstown led to a car chase and a gun battle with four armed robbers, one armed with an automatic gun.
Grahamstown police spokeswoman Captain Milanda Coetzer urged the public to be on the lookout for a white Mercedes-Benz with the plates FBY 229 EC. “Be our eyes and ears,” she said.
Hi-Tec Security spokesman Derek Richardson said the robbers got away with tens of thousands of rands.
He said that during “a major shoot-out in the township” soon after 3pm, his guards fired over 30 bullets into the Mercedes-Benz.
He said it sped off in the direction of Port Elizabeth, but Coetzer said police were watching all Grahamstown exits.
Richardson said a construction company was paying employees at a site on the corner of Rose and Holland streets close to the popular African Street Spar, when the gang struck. Richardson said: “Four people held up the owner and got away with the weekly wages. Employees of the nearby Spar realised that something was amiss and pushed the panic button.
“Two Hi-Tec Security units gave chase through Grahamstown which ended close to Daniel Khutliso Secondary School in Extension 4 when the Mercedes-Benz stopped abruptly.
“At one point, two occupants jumped out and started firing at the security officers with a fully automatic gun and the other a semi-automatic 9mm handgun.”|
Kenny Koetzer, Hi-Tec’s second-in-command of armed response, said there were two shootouts, the first when the getaway car stopped in the road, and a second where Hi-Tec guards Stefan Benn and Marno Zeelie trapped the Merc in a one-way street.
“They turned around and came at us shooting from the window as they went past. People in the yards were ducking and diving.
“We were two versus four. Stefan and Marno took cover behind the back wheel of the bakkie. They were kneeling, but one of our guys got isolated and the bullets were hitting the ground all around him. They hit our window, a tyre, and the front and back of the bakkie.
“They opened up on semi-automatic fire and six bullets hit our bakkie. We shot back with handguns.
“The guys were shaking a bit, but they are all happy now.”
Coetzer said: “Some damage was done to the (Hi-Tec) cars, but we are thankful no lives were lost.” However, she said some of the wages were recovered at the scene of the shoot-out: “When they jumped out some of the money packets fell out,” said Coetzer. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
Shooting drama in City of Saints
Grahamstown police spokeswoman Captain Milanda Coetzer urged the public to be on the lookout for a white Mercedes-Benz with the plates FBY 229 EC. “Be our eyes and ears,” she said.
Hi-Tec Security spokesman Derek Richardson said the robbers got away with tens of thousands of rands.
He said that during “a major shoot-out in the township” soon after 3pm, his guards fired over 30 bullets into the Mercedes-Benz.
He said it sped off in the direction of Port Elizabeth, but Coetzer said police were watching all Grahamstown exits.
Richardson said a construction company was paying employees at a site on the corner of Rose and Holland streets close to the popular African Street Spar, when the gang struck. Richardson said: “Four people held up the owner and got away with the weekly wages. Employees of the nearby Spar realised that something was amiss and pushed the panic button.
“Two Hi-Tec Security units gave chase through Grahamstown which ended close to Daniel Khutliso Secondary School in Extension 4 when the Mercedes-Benz stopped abruptly.
“At one point, two occupants jumped out and started firing at the security officers with a fully automatic gun and the other a semi-automatic 9mm handgun.”|
Kenny Koetzer, Hi-Tec’s second-in-command of armed response, said there were two shootouts, the first when the getaway car stopped in the road, and a second where Hi-Tec guards Stefan Benn and Marno Zeelie trapped the Merc in a one-way street.
“They turned around and came at us shooting from the window as they went past. People in the yards were ducking and diving.
“We were two versus four. Stefan and Marno took cover behind the back wheel of the bakkie. They were kneeling, but one of our guys got isolated and the bullets were hitting the ground all around him. They hit our window, a tyre, and the front and back of the bakkie.
“They opened up on semi-automatic fire and six bullets hit our bakkie. We shot back with handguns.
“The guys were shaking a bit, but they are all happy now.”
Coetzer said: “Some damage was done to the (Hi-Tec) cars, but we are thankful no lives were lost.” However, she said some of the wages were recovered at the scene of the shoot-out: “When they jumped out some of the money packets fell out,” said Coetzer. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
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