During the early hours of Sunday 1 October, members of the Bloemfontein Flying Squad, Batho Visible Policing Unit and Private Security Companies responded to an alarm raised from a filling station situated at the corner of Fort Hare and Hamilton Roads, in the Batho Location, Bloemfontein.
According to police spokesperson Thabo Covane, reports suggest that four unknown males stormed into the store at the filling station with two of them carrying firearms. “The suspects threatened the workers and instructed them to lie down. One assailant hit the petrol attendant with the firearm and the victim suffered an open wound on the head,” said Covane.
He added that the suspects then helped themselves to an undisclosed amount of money from the tills and they also robbed another victim of her cell phone, smart identity document card, cash and other belongings. “Yet another victim was robbed of his driver’s license card, bank cards and money. The suspects then fled the scene on foot. The team of police and security officers spread in the area to search for the suspects,” said Covane.
He further said that one suspect, a 20-year-old male who is a foreign national, was trekked and arrested in Tona Street.
“Three cell phones, a toy that resembles a real pistol and cash were recovered from the suspect and confiscated. A case for business robbery with other added charges was opened at Batho Police Station and the suspect detained in police custody.”
The suspect will appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court soon.
Compiled by Justine Fortuin
