Friday, September 12, 2008
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They were arrested after police foiled yet another armed robbery at a Somali-owned shop, at Amalinda Forest, yesterday after receiving a tip-off about the planned heist.
A seventh suspect was shot dead when a shoot-out ensued between police officers and the arrested group.
A teenage bystander was also injured and taken to hospital.
Police spokesperson Mluleki Mbi said the suspects were linked to a spate of armed robberies in the area, including attacks on and the murder of Somalis.
After receiving a tip-off of a planned robbery, police arrived at the scene early and waited for the suspects’ arrival .
After they walked in the spaza shop, police followed but were spotted by the suspects who then opened fire . The police returned fire, killing one.
Qadar Omar Hussein, 17, a bystander inside the shop, was also shot during the crossfire. He was reported to be in a stable condition, but no further details were available last night.
“The suspect tried to shoot at the police when they warned him to stop running and the police fired towards him and he died at the scene,” said Mbi.
“As he was falling down, he tried to throw the gun to his accomplice but the police managed to arrest him and the firearm was confiscated.
“This will be our breakthrough to the recent crimes in the area,” said Mbi.
The firearm has been taken for ballistic tests.
The arrests follow a spate of attacks on Somali shops, which have claimed the lives of three Somalis. The attacks include:
l Wednesday’s attack on a Somali shop owner who was shot and wounded during a robbery at NU 11a in Mdantsane.
The robbers stole more than R7000 in cash, another R7000 worth of airtime vouchers and two cellphones;
l The gunning down of two Somali shopkeepers inside their Mdantsane NU13 shop. Five armed robbers opened fire on them . Two other people were left wounded in the shooting; and
l The killing two weeks ago of a Somali shopkeeper at his spaza shop in Biko village during an armed robbery.
A close relative of the shopkeeper was also seriously injured .
In June, two Somali nationals were robbed at gunpoint at their spaza shop in Ducats, near Beacon Bay, the man fled with two cellphones and R2800 in cash.
The six suspects are being held at Cambridge police station and will appear in court soon.
The chairman of the Somali Association in the Amathole Region, Abdul Hakar, said yesterday’s arrests had brought relief to their plight and they wished to thank the community for helping them through difficult times.
“Our shops have been hit badly in the last two months and we have lost our countrymen in the process. But the arrests have brought relief as we know that some of the dangerous suspects will be behind bars,” said Hakar.
“We thank the police and the community for being on our side (and) we hope that these thugs will rot in hell,” said Hakar . - By BONGANI FUZILE
Crime Reporter — Additional reporting by Luzuko Pongoma and Pumelela Nqelenga
Source: DispatchOnline, Sept 12, 2008