WESTERN CAPE – The swift response of SAPS after two armed robberies were perpetrated at spaza shops last night in Malmesbury led to the arrest of six suspects.
At around 19:30 a group of nine suspects held the owners of two spaza shops in Holomisa Street Ilngelethu Malmesbury at gunpoint and fled with cigarettes, cash, and airtime vouchers in a white minibus taxi. Members of Darling police who reacted on the all-points bulletin spotted the taxi at a petrol filling station in Darling and instructed the occupants to exit the vehicle.
The suspects refused to comply and opened fire at police which resulted in two suspects being fatally wounded after police retaliated. Six suspects aged between 26 and 33 were arrested in possession of two unlicensed 9mm pistols. One of the arrested suspects was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. One suspect managed to evade arrest and is being sought by police.
The circumstances surrounding the incidents are being investigated by police while the death of the two suspects will be the subject of an IPID investigation.
Once charged, the suspects are due to make their court appearances in Malmesbury.