MANZINI - A day in the office gone wrong is what happened to five armed robbers who were arrested amid a robbery, after two of them were shot.
The five robbers had targetted an eatery at Ngwane Park and had ransacked it at about 8pm yesterday, when two of them were shot by police officers. According to sources, at first, a pair of the robbers entered the eatery, posing as clients before jumping over the counters and brandished guns as they demanded cash. As the pair was engaging in the heinous crime, another three were said to be on guard. However, their plan backfired as little did they know that in close proximity were police officers. Sources claimed that some of the police officers were inside the eatery as they had received a tip-off about a robbery, which was to be committed within Ngwane Park in one of the business establishments. In containing the situation, it was claimed that a shootout ensued, wherein two of the robbers were shot. One of them was said to have bled profusely as blood spatter was said to have been on the eatery’s floor.
Apprehended
As the shootout ensued, it was said that other police officers who were within the Cardo Square complex immediately apprehended the trio who had been on guard. When this publication’s reporters arrived at the scene of the robbery, three of the robbers were found seated on the pavement opposite the eatery. The two others who were supposedly injured during the shootout had been taken to hospital. At the time of compiling this report, the condition of the duo could not be confirmed as none of the police officers at the scene were willing to share any information. Worth noting is that the shopping centre is located less than a kilometre from the Zakhele Police Camp. Armed police officers in assault riffles from Lukhozi and the Criminal Investigations Department were found at the scene. The officers were found interviewing witnesses.
The matter was confirmed by one of the shareholders of the eatery, but he could not say much about the incident as when this report was compiled, he was still busy with the police at the scene. Meanwhile, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said she had not received anything about the incident at the time of compiling this report, supposedly because the police were still at the scene.
