- Worshippers held at gunpoint, tied up, and driven to remote area
- Two suspects arrested; three still at large
- Separate carjacking incident ends in dramatic police chase
Two of five gunmen who invaded a church service in Klipfontein, eMalahleni, South Africa, on Wednesday evening have been arrested following a coordinated police response.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that according to Mpumalanga Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, the armed robbers stormed the church shortly before 7pm, forcing nine congregants including the pastor and elders to lie face down. They were restrained with cable ties before being robbed of their cellphones, bank cards, wallets, laptops, and a church-owned computer screen.
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The assailants demanded car keys and PIN codes to mobile devices, then abducted the victims using three of their own vehicles, transporting them to a remote, wooded area in Kromdraai.
Family members, alarmed by the disappearance, notified authorities. A joint operation between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Tracker Connect led to the location and rescue of the victims. One person sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
Authorities have recovered all three stolen vehicles:
- A Mercedes-Benz in Vosman with a 21-year-old suspect arrested
- A VW Polo, abandoned nearby
- An Isuzu KB bakkie, found in Silverton, Gauteng, where a 27-year-old suspect was arrested
The two suspects are set to appear in court shortly. A manhunt is ongoing for the remaining three robbers.
In a related but separate incident, Mpumalanga police also apprehended a suspect connected to the hijacking of a medical doctor in Barberton on Tuesday night.
The doctor was ambushed around 11:45 p.m. by two armed men who stole his white Mahindra bakkie. Members of the Mbombela Flying Squad traced the vehicle along the N4 highway toward Mbombela. A high-speed chase ensued, ending when the suspect lost control of the vehicle near Sudwala Caves. One of the suspects escaped, while the other was arrested on the spot.
Recovered from the vehicle were:
- A 9mm pistol with a defaced serial number
- Ammunition
- A military-grade signal jamming device equipped with 16 antennas
Police are appealing to the public for assistance in locating the remaining suspects. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS app.
