Four men were arrested on Wednesday after a shoot-out between robbers and security guards in central Johannesburg the day before left a baby dead and seven other people wounded, police said.
Six other men were still at large after Tuesday’s cash-in-transit heist, and police have vowed to arrest them soon, said Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht.
”These criminals have no regard for human life and should not be allowed an opportunity to pull another trigger and take yet another life.”
She said one of the arrested men was found at Jeppe hostel shortly after 10am on Wednesday.
Three others were apprehended in Joubert Park soon afterwards.
”A white Isuzu bakkie believed to be the men’s getaway vehicle was found parked at Jeppe hostel. It was confiscated.”
No further information was available on the arrested men, except that three of them came from KwaZulu-Natal — two from Msinga and one from Kranskop — while the fourth one was believed to be from Maputo in Mozambique.
When they appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court the men will face charges of armed robbery, murder and attempted murder.
Martins-Engelbrecht could not specify the court date, saying it could be either Thursday or Friday.
Police were following leads regarding the arrest of the other suspects.
Meanwhile, Provincial Commissioner Perumal Naidoo has expressed his condolences towards those caught in the gunfire.
Two people were hospitalised but not shot: one who had an epileptic fit and a pregnant woman who fell during the chaotic incident.
”I wish a speedy recovery to all those injured during the shoot-out and our deepest sympathy goes to the Mitileni family, who lost a baby,” Naidoo said. — Sapa