/ 18 July 2007

Second ATM-bomber gang arrested in KZN

Four members of a gang believed to have blown up at least five ATMs have been arrested in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), police said on Wednesday.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said two were arrested last Friday, a third on Monday and the fourth on Tuesday.

They are believed to be linked to ATM blasts in KwaZulu-Natal and as far afield as Welkom in the Free State.

They are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court to face charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances to attempted murder.

Details of their arrests were not immediately available.

Mdunge said that they were not part of a gang arrested in a shootout in Pietermaritzburg’s Imbali area on July 11.

In that incident two men were killed and two of their alleged accomplices injured when police intervened after a tip-off of a possible ATM robbery in the area.

The two were placed under police guard in hospital and are expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday after their initial court appearance was postponed in their absence.

They will also be charged with the murder of their accomplices on the grounds that they must have realised that a shooting could erupt during the crime or while attempting to escape.

Mdunge said: ”There were two gangs operating in the province. We must commend the Organised Crime Unit. They are really making inroads in terms of solving crimes and bringing criminals to book.” — Sapa