Five suspects arrested following car chase

Five men possibly linked to a weekend robbery of a Sasol garage in Motherwell were arrested following a brief car chase on Monday morning.

The arrest stems from the alleged robbery of the Sasol garage in Nzunga Street‚ Motherwell, which took place at about 4.40am on Sunday.

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said the five were caught after police spotted a car speeding and driving recklessly on the M17 from Motherwell towards Kwazakhele.

“The vehicle refused to stop, leading to a high-speed car chase. Eventually the car was forced off the road in Kuzwayo Street, Kwazakhele, and all five occupants arrested,” he said.

“A total of 123 boxes of cigarettes were found inside the vehicle.”

Beetge said the arrest came after the petrol station robbery when five men, two of whom were allegedly armed with firearms, stormed the petrol station shop.

“The men held the teller at gunpoint and demanded money. The cash register money was handed over and various boxes of cigarettes stolen,” he said.

“The men then got back into the car and drove off.”

Beetge said that while the arrested men were charged with possession of suspected stolen property, detectives were seeking to link them to the armed robbery.

The men, aged between 19 and 21 years, are due to appear in the New Brighton Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.