Eastern Cape police have launched an extensive manhunt for a band of armed robbers who robbed a local Bank and attacked members of Ngcobo SAPS during the early hours of Monday morning.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Priscilla Naidu, says "it's alleged that the robbers tied up a security guard and gained access by cutting open ATM machines with angle grinders," she said.
Naidu said the well-prepared gang took up positions all over town and when a police vehicle approached the scene, they started firing.
"Police members returned fire and a Constable was wounded in his arm during the shootout. He has been taken to hospital for medical attention," she said.
Naidu said police are also investigating claims that the "robbers also kept the police station and police residential homes in town under surveillance and once the shooting started, they fired randomly at the station and these houses, to prevent reinforcement from responding.
However, she said that police reinforcements came from the Public Order Policing Unit, National Intervention Unit and Organised Crime detectives in the Province, but the robbers managed to escape in four vehicles, an Audi, BMW, Toyota Fortuner and a Toyota Hillux.
Naidu said an undisclosed amount of money was taken and cases of business robbery, attempted murder and malicious damage to property were opened for investigation.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lietuenant-General, Liziwe Ntshinga, says they will not rest until the gang members are behind bars.
