Forgetting to fill up gets robbers caught

RUNNING out of petrol proved the undoing of seven men suspected of being involved in an armed robbery on a farm near Alexandria last Thursday.

Acting on a hunch after an alert was issued, police in Paterson came across the men pushing a car, searched them and found the victim's wallet and several stolen cell phones. The men were arrested.

Later, police also recovered three rifles, ammunition and an undisclosed amount of cash.

Police spokesman Captain Mali Govender said the 49-year-old owner of the smallholding, about 9kmfrom Alexandria towards Port Elizabeth, had returned to his house from his farm stall about 200m from his house at about 9am and noticed his wife and female staff members lying on the floor with their hands tied up.

"He felt someone tap him on his shoulder and (a suspect) informed him to lie down on the floor. The suspect had a pistol in his possession,” said Govender.

The suspect and his accomplices demanded the keys to the safe and took four firearms - three rifles (a .22 calibre, a 303 and 270) and one pistol (a .22) - an undisclosed amount of cash,a telescope and pair of binoculars.

The suspects also took six cell phones, jewelry and a DVD player.

Although the suspects took the farmer's wallet they obliged his request to leave his driver's licence with him and also told him they would only take his vehicle to make a getaway, and would leave along the road for him.

The suspects locked the house and took the keys, but the victims managed to exit the house through another door. A family member of one of the victims arrived and they phoned the police from her cell phone.

Police from Alexandria responded to the scene and neighbouring stations were placed on alert. Police recovered the farmer's vehicle, an Isuzu 3.0 LDV, on a gravel road leading towards Paterson. It was suspected the robbers had changed to another car.

Police at Paterson were alerted and a police officerpatrolling by himself came across a group pushing a vehicle which had run out of petrol about 5km out of Paterson.

"He immediately gotsome back-up,” said Govender. The officers searched the men and their vehicle and found the farmer's wallet and several cell phones.

"The cash was found in a jacket worn by one of the suspects,” said Govender.

Later, the three rifles, ammunition, the DVD Player, the telescope, binoculars and cash were also recovered.

The hand gun was recovered during a follow-up investigation.

The sevenmale suspects arrested are between the ages of 21 and 36. They were due to appear in the Alexandria Magistrate's Court this week on charges of armed robbery.

Grahamstown cluster commander, Brigadier Vakala Moyake said: "I would like to commend the officers and members on the swift action and professional manner in which the incident was handled. It took place over two clusters. The incident took place in the Port Alfred Cluster and the arrests were effected in the Grahamtsown cluster. Teamwork certainly pays off.”