/ 26 March 1999

POLICE NAB MALL GANG

WEST Rand police said on Friday that they have arrested eight suspects in connection with the robbery at the Roodepoort Cascades Shopping Mall which left a police officer and a suspected robber dead and several people wounded. The shoot-out took place earlier with an armed gang which ambushed security guards at the mall. Police confronted the robbers when they also tried to rob a nearby pub. One member of the gang is still believed to be at large. Also on Friday the North Rand anti-hijack unit said it has arrested 61 people and recovered 65 hijacked or stolen cars in a crackdown which started on February 23.