WELKOM – A multidisciplinary Free State police team has arrested two suspected armed cash-in-transit (CIT) robbers and recovered a significant amount of stolen money following a robbery at a Cash and Carry supermarket in Welkom yesterday, Saturday, 23 May.
Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane, provincial spokesperson for the Free State police, said the suspects were arrested at a private house hours after the robbery, with the team recovering incriminating evidence. He said their arrest came after a shootout involving members of a team consisting of Crime Intelligence, the Tactical Response Team (TRT) and the Public Order Policing (POP) unit.
“The robbery occurred at Cash and Carry in Welkom when security officers were collecting money from the store at around 12:40. The security guards were allegedly accosted by six armed suspects who forced them to lie down on the ground before ordering them to open the cash van. The suspects fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money,” said Covane, adding that the security guards were disarmed.
“The suspects took three firearms belonging to the security officers, bulletproof vests and a handheld radio.” Police members recovered an undisclosed amount of the stolen money as well as other items linked to the robbery, said Covane. He said police intelligence led members to the suspects at a house in Welkom at around 15:00. “Upon arrival, a shootout ensued between police and the suspects. Some of the suspects managed to flee the scene while two known CIT armed robbery suspects were arrested,” said Covane.
A full-scale search for the suspects still on the run is ongoing as part of the investigation.
Covane said the two suspects were expected to appear in the Welkom Magistrates Court soon, facing charges of armed robbery, attempted murder and possession of stolen property. Free State Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Solomon Lesia applauded the multidisciplinary team for the breakthrough in the cash heist.
