5 Suspects wanted for armed robbery committed at Mooinooi in North West were spotted near Kroonstad on Friday 29 April 2022 at about 08:30.
The members of Kroonstad Rural Safety and Social Crime Prevention were busy with Vehicle Check Point (VCP) operations on Steynsrus road when they received a tipoff of a black suspected stolen vehicle, a Porche with 5 occupants approaching their direction.
The vigilant members immediately called for back-up from surrounding stations.
The 5 alleged suspects immediately re-routed when they saw the police and sped off towards the N1 and later took an off ramp towards the Vredefort road.
The members called for back-up and immediately alerted the farmers surrounding the areas for camera activation as the SAPS were giving chase.
The suspects then took off the gravel road leading into R82 between Vredefort and Koppies. Along the route they tried to hijack a truck but they noticed an oncoming Toyota Rav 4 with occupants. They then decided to leave the truck driver and they all took off with the Toyota Rav 4 leaving the initial car occupants of the Toyota Rav 4 alongside the road.
When they spotted the police the suspects began to shoot and sped off. They came across a Polo vehicle which they also hijacked and split themselves leaving the occupants on side of the road.
Two suspects drove off in the Polo when the shooting between them and the police continued and the two suspects ended up dead. The other 3 suspects left in the Toyota Rav 4, two of them were arrested and the third one fled.
The two arrested suspects will appear before Sasolburg Magistrate Court soon and will be charged with armed robbery, carjacking and attempted murder.
“I would like to commend the collective effort by our members and strategic partners to make sure that we cornered at least most of these suspects.” Said the Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Baile Motswenyane.
The matter will be further investigated and an appeal is made to anyone who might know the whereabouts of the suspect who fled from the scene to report at Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or share the information via the MySAPS App.
