Manhunt for bank robbers

Eastern Cape Police have launched an extensive manhunt for a group of armed robbers who robbed a bank in Ngcobo and attacked members of the police in the area, during the early hours on Monday morning.

It is alleged that the robbers tied up a security guard and gained access by cutting open ATM machines with angle grinders.

The robbers took position all over the small town and when a police vehicle approached the scene, they started firing at police.

Police members returned fire and one constable was wounded in the arm during the shootout.

He was taken to hospital for medical attention.

It is alleged that the robbers also kept the police station and police residential homes in town under surveillance and once the shooting started, they fired randomly at the station and at the residential homes to prevent reinforcement from police members.

Reinforcements were obtained from Public Order Policing, National Intervention Unit and Organised Crime detectives in the province, however the robbers managed to escape in four vehicles (Audi, BMW, Fortuner, Toyota Hilux with canopy- no colours identified at this stage due to poor lighting). The robbers escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

A case of business robbery, attempted murder and malicious damaged to property was opened, no arrests have been made yet.

The Provincial Commissioner of the Eastern Cape, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga said that the SAPS in the province is determined to arrest those responsible.

“We will not rest until they are behind bars. I have sanctioned additional resources to a special team, which will hunt them down. I appeal to anyone who might have seen what happened or know anything about the whereabouts of these perpetrators to call their nearest station or crime stop on 08600 10111 or Crime Line 32211,” she said.