SAPS arrested three men after they robbed a supermarket on Ermelo Road on Wednesday. According to Springs SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Themba Tshabalala, the complainant reported that he was inside the supermarket when two men entered, pretending to buy a cold drink.

Shortly afterwards the complainant noticed a white VW Polo parked outside and three more men approached the shop.

“The complainant realized something was wrong when he saw one of the men reaching under his shirt. He ran to the back of the store to a neighboring business to inform them that a robbery had taken place,” Tshabalala said.

“At the time, a member of the SAPS was passing by and noticed the vehicle parked with no one inside and no number plates. He took the keys from the ignition and moved to a safe place to call for backup.

Tshabalala said the gunmen stole four mobile phones and R7 000 from the shop before trying to flee the scene.

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“When they discovered the car keys were missing, they ran down Van Niekerk Road, forced a vehicle to stop and forced the driver out and drove off in his vehicle,” he said.

As the men fled, a truck further down the road became stuck, causing them to abandon the vehicle and flee on foot into an open field. Tshabalala said that during the pursuit, the men fired at members of the community, who returned three shots.

“Members of the SAPS and security soon arrived, assisting with the chase. Three of the men were caught, while the other two escaped.”

The police recovered the stolen money and mobile phones. Upon further investigation, they discovered that the abandoned vehicle had no identification marks or license plate, although its registration number matched a similar vehicle from Phillipi’s in Cape Town.

The arrested men were booked into the Springs police station and charged with business robbery and car theft.
They will appear in the Springs Magistrate’s Court soon.

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