A PLANNED hit on retailer Pick n Pay in Empangeni was foiled when police, following up on intelligence information, swooped on an armed gang on the N2 near Empangeni on Thursday afternoon.
Seven suspects between the ages of 34 and 45, travelling in two vehicles on the N2 northbound carriageway, were apprehended by members of the Empangeni Crime Intelligence, Provincial Tracking Team and Special Task Force.
An eighth suspect, who is reportedly a Pick n Pay employee implicated in the planned robbery, was arrested in the Empangeni CBD at the same time en route home from work.
The men are up for charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
According to Empangeni Crime Intelligence, they received information the group were planning the robbery on either Friday or Saturday morning.
The suspects as well as the vehicles to be used in the robbery were spotted in the Empangeni CBD on Thursday.
‘The Empangeni Crime Intelligence members requested back up from the Provincial Tracking Unit and Special Task Force,’ said Colonel Jay Naicker.
‘The members stopped the two vehicles on the N2 north bound at around 5.30pm. When the vehicles were searched the police recovered four unlicensed firearms hidden in the front door panel of the vehicle. Three 9mm pistols with 18 live rounds and one .38 revolver with six live rounds were seized,’ said Naicker.
The latest arrests come after police intercepted a gang of four men on 31 December, who had also targeted the same retailer in Empangeni. The suspects were arrested in possession of three pistols and one stolen vehicle at the time. It is believed more arrests are on the cards as investigations continue following Thursday’s bust.
KZN Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, congratulated the police officers for preventing the robbery and apprehending the suspects.
‘It is very pleasing to hear of a crime being stopped in its tracks. We are mindful of the fact that these are ruthless criminals and it was quite possible that innocent lives could have been lost had we not intervened,’ she said.
The suspects are due to appear at the Empangeni Magistrate Court today (Monday).
