Yesterday morning (Sunday) at around 7am, a vehicle tracking company posted information providing the last known coordinates of a silver VW Polo that was stolen during a business robbery in the Pietermaritzburg CBD.
Mi7 Strategic Threat Response Unit members were luckily patrolling nearby and immediately dispatched to the location. This led the team to the Willowfontein area where, while searching for the vehicle, a Reaction Officer spotted three men offloading goods from a car matching the description.
Teamed up with the vehicle tracking company, Mi7 STRU members approached, following the suspects on foot. As they got closer, the suspects opened fire as they ran into an open field nearby.
A chase ensued as gunshots rang through the air. The suspects passed through a small river and split up on the other side. Mi7 teams immediately deployed a high-tech drone to support the chase from the air.
Through the drone, one suspect was seen entering a property nearby. Police officers, who had by then joined the search, were notified and the suspect was arrested from the property. He was found in possession of a gun, believed to be linked to a murder case in Umzimkulu.
Property stolen from the business robbery in the Pietermaritzburg CBD was also recovered. This included branded merchandise, electronics, and cash. The stolen vehicle was also recovered.
The suspect was part of a group of men who entered a well-known retailer in the Pietermaritzburg CBD upon the store opening on Sunday morning. They allegedly held staff at gunpoint, stealing the above items and making off in the car stolen from the business premises. Luckily, nobody was injured.
From there, they proceeded to the Azalia area near Imbali, where they held up the owner of a convenience store. Unfortunately, the owner was shot in the leg during the robbery.
The matter was handed over to the police for further investigation.
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