Police nabbed four suspects following a high-speed car chase and a shootout after yet another robbery at an MTN store on Friday, the second in as many days.
A police officer and two of the robbers were shot and wounded in the chase.
Cops are now trying to link the gang to two robberies at Cape Flats malls on Wednesday and Thursday, when skelms also got away in a Toyota Avanza.
The drama unfolded shortly before noon, when the robbers entered the MTN cellphone shop in Durbanville.
A police officer at the scene told the Daily Voice: “The robbers pretended to be car guards near the MTN store in Durbanville before they attacked. An alert policeman from Durbanville noticed them coming out of the shop carrying bags full of money.
“They were wearing those day-glo green bibs the car guards always wear. They got into a Toyota Avanza and sped off in the direction of Kraaifontein.
“The officer called for back-up. Ek haal my hoed af vir die C-skof wat blitsvinnig die rowers vasgedruk het in Brightonweg in Kraaifontein.
“There was a shootout and about 30 shots were fired. One of the colleagues, in his 30s, was hit in the right hand. One of the robbers was standing among the crowd who gathered, but the community quickly pointed him out and he was arrested.”
The injured cop and two of the robbers, who were shot in the stomach and the buttocks, were treated by medics on scene.
Witness, Ivan Speelman, says: “One of the skelms jumped over a wall in Hout Street, but I showed the cops where he was hiding. Die polisie het hom in sy hol geskiet.”
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana, said a firearm was confiscated.
“Cases of attempted murder and business robbery are under investigation. Once charged, the suspects are due to appear in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court.”
Last Wednesday, robbers who hit the MTN store in Westgate Mall fled with an undisclosed amount of money and cellphones.
On Thursday, robbers struck the Vodacom 4U store at Vangate Mall, but only got away with two cellphones taken from staff.