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Eight people have been arrested after two KwaZulu-Natal supermarkets were hit by armed robbers in separate incidents over the weekend, according to police.
The two supermarkets, one in Durban and the other in Greytown, saw armed groups of thieves targeting the stores occupied during the national shutdown.
Police spokesman Brigadier Jay Naicker said police arrested a 21- and 27-year-old on Monday for trying to rob a supermarket on Carlow Road in Bonela, Cato Crest, in Durban.
They were both armed with a pistol, five rounds of ammunition, a hammer, and a screwdriver.
“It is alleged that yesterday, at 14:00, [they] He entered a supermarket in Bonela and demanded cell phones and cash at gunpoint. The suspects fled the scene in the victim’s bakkie, “Naicker said Tuesday.
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Naicker said a robbery case was opened at the Cato Manor Police Station for investigation.
“The prompt police investigation led to the arrest of the suspects and the retrieval of a firearm. The bakkie was found abandoned at Cato Manor. The suspects will appear in Durban Magistrates Court soon.”
He added that the men were linked to four other robbery cases and another pending investigation.
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“The firearm will be subjected to ballistic tests to determine if it was used in the commission of any crime.”
Greytown supermarket robbery
In another incident, also on Monday, Naicker said a group robbed a supermarket on Bell Street in Greytown around 12:00.
“They stole airtime coupons and an undisclosed amount of cash at gunpoint. Police officers, who were nearby, were alerted and immediately responded. A total of six men, aged 27 to 44, were arrested. while trying to flee the scene on foot. “
He said four unlicensed firearms were seized, including an AK47 rifle, a shotgun, two pistols and 30 rounds of ammunition.
“The suspects will appear in Greytown Magistrates Court, where they will face charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as robbery.”
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