Two armed suspects have died in a vehicle crash in the Marble Hall policing area, hours after a violent business robbery at a filling station in Dennilton, Sekhukhune District.
The incident happened early on Tuesday morning.
Thirteen armed men allegedly stormed the filling station at Moteti Complex in Dennilton, where they used an explosive device to blow up a drop safe and stole an undisclosed amount of cash.
Robbers flee after robbery
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the robbers, who were armed with handguns and rifles, entered the filling station at about 2.30am.
“The suspects accosted the security guards and cashier before proceeding to the cash office, where they allegedly used an explosive device to breach the drop safe,” Ledwaba said.
The men then fled on foot while firing several shots.
“An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen from the safe,” he said.
Members of the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit took over the crime scene and began investigating.
“Several pistol and rifle cartridges were recovered at the scene,” Ledwaba said.
Two suspects die in crash
At about 5.10am, police received information that a white bakkie with Mpumalanga registration had overturned along the R573 between Slaagboom and Siyabuswa.
“Upon arrival, police found two male occupants at the scene,” Ledwaba said.
The driver was certified dead at the scene, while the passenger sustained serious head injuries.
He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, but later died while receiving medical treatment.
Firearms and ammunition recovered
Ledwaba said police recovered firearms and ammunition while processing the crash scene, including one R5 rifle, two R5 magazines, 56 rounds of R5 ammunition, two 9mm pistols, one empty 9mm magazine and one 9mm round of ammunition.
“Firearms and ammunition recovered from the crashed vehicle have been positively linked to the two deceased suspects and the robbery.”
Ledwaba said cases of possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition and culpable homicide have been registered at Marble Hall police station.
The two dead men were later identified and positively linked to the filling station robbery, he said.
Police hunt remaining suspects
Investigations were continuing as officers worked to identify and apprehend the remaining members of the armed group.
Limpopo Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Jan Scheepers welcomed the recovery of the firearms and the breakthrough linking the two dead men to the robbery.
“The recovery of these firearms and the subsequent linkage of the deceased suspects to the business robbery is a significant breakthrough. However, our work is far from over. We will continue to follow every available lead until the remaining suspects are identified and apprehended,” Scheepers said.
“Those who use firearms and explosives to terrorise our communities must know that they cannot evade the long arm of the law,” he said.
IOL News
Simon Majadibodu
iol.co.za
