Staff Reporter
Two armed men who robbed an Odendaalsrus business owner of an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes yesterday may live to regret their love for gadgets after they dropped a cellphone during the robbery and tried to retrieve it later.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said in a statement the pair entered a shop owned by a 31-year-old foreign national just before 18:00 and ordered him and his employee to lie down.
They allegedly robbed them of an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes before fleeing the scene, dropping a cellphone in the process.
“Police were alerted and at the scene a cellphone believed to belong to one of the suspects was found,” said Makhele.
And as if to test fate, the alleged robbers returned to the supermarket to try and retrieve the cellphone without being recognised but this time luck was not on their side.
“The complainant recognised them and informed the police who were at the scene,” he added.
Realising the mess they had put themselves in, the two jumped into a waiting blue Toyota Conquest and fired shots at the police as they drove off.
The police returned fire and the fleeing suspects hit a taxi, forcing them to abandon the vehicle and flee on foot together with the driver of the getaway car.
The taxi also had one of its tyres shot in the chaos.
“Residents, SAPS and taxi drivers gave chase and a 35-year-old suspect from Thabong, Welkom, was arrested inside a furrow full of water.
“The second suspect was arrested later at about 21:15 by members of Public Order Policing who were patrolling along the R730 in Kutloanong . . . whilst at a hiking spot,” said the police spokesperson.
According to the Makhele, the suspect, 57, was heading towards Kroonstad.
He said the man, who is from Vosloorus in Gauteng, tried to flee but was arrested and a 9mm Pietro Barletta with one live round was found in his possession.
The getaway vehicle and the cellphone found inside the supermarket were seized.
The third suspect remains at large.
Those arrested are facing charges of business robbery, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and attempted murder.
They will appear in the Odendaalsrus Magistrates Court soon.
Meanwhile, another two suspects were arrested separately on Monday on the R59 and N3 roads for possession of illicit cigarettes.
Police patrolling the R59 noticed a vehicle parked alongside the road.
They approached it and requested to conduct a search on the vehicle.
The police found cigarettes hidden in a black bag and the driver of the vehicle tried to bribe one of the officers with R1 800 and he refused.
About 2 470 packets with an estimated value of R20 000 were confiscated.
The 40-year-old male suspect was arrested for possession of suspected illicit cigarettes and bribery.
He is set to appear in the Sasolburg Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The other suspect, a taxi driver, was arrested and charged with possession of illicit cigarettes at a roadblock on the N3 near Harrismith while travelling towards Durban.
The taxi was stopped at about 13:00 and searched.
A box containing illicit cigarettes valued at about R12 500 was found on the vehicle and confiscated.