Police station robbed at gunpoint
Armed suspects attacked members of the Grootvlei police station in Mpumalanga. They forcefully took three 9 mm pistols, one R5 rifle, and one shotgun. They also took about 180 live rounds.
While the rest were taken from the safe, the officer also had one pistol taken from his possession. The incident took place Between Friday late, 2 September 2022, and early on Saturday, 3 September 2022.
Events according those who were at the police station
The report states that two suspects pretended to be from Soshanguve when they went to the police station on Friday, 2 September 2022, at 18:00. They had come to report a domestic violence incident. While pretending to be victims, they asked the two employees of the Community Service Center (CSC) for assistance with a woman who had been the victim of domestic abuse.
Initially, they left because the CSC’s safety door was locked, but they later came back and complained that the police had ignored their concerns.
The suspects insisted that the door be opened for them at that point. The police officers then unlocked the door. Two suspects pulled out weapons and disarmed the two police officers as soon as they were let inside. The suspects then ransacked the police station, took the keys to the safe, held the officers hostage, tied them up with cable ties, and forced them into the holding cells. They also stole firearms and ammunition.
At the time of the heist, one member of the public who came to the station for services was also taken hostage when he entered. He said that one of the suspects pointed a gun at him as he entered the CSC through the door. He was confined in the kitchen, apart from the other two police officers, and was also tied with cable. The victim was able to free himself after the suspects left t carrying the stolen property. He went to the holding cells where the officers advised him accordingly to seek help.
Police have set up a 72-hour activation plan and are searching for the suspects.
Also read: Fidelity security guards disarmed and robbed