Police arrest illegal miners 'linked' to M1 robberies

A group of men believed to be involved in the robberies of motorists on the M1 have been arrested.

Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla said on Tuesday afternoon, the tactical response unit followed up on a complaint of armed illegal miners at the intersection of Main Reef Road and Shamrock Street in Germiston.

The response came after alleged robberies of motorists by armed individuals at the Crown Interchange on the M1 on Tuesday morning.

Fihla said they suspect these men could have been involved in the M1 robberies, but they would need to be profiled to confirm this. 

"As officers arrived at the given location, they saw two groups of males shooting at each other. When the suspects noticed the officers, they started shooting at them and the officers returned fire. Amid the shootout, the officers saw a suspect fall to the ground and backup was called," said Fihla.

He said when the backup from SAPS Primrose, the Flying Squad, and the Airwing arrived, the officers entered the open veld area.

"They found one male lying on the ground with a wound and a rifle next to him. A further seven suspects were apprehended by the officers.

"Gauteng EMS attended to the injured suspect, who was then taken to Germiston Hospital for further treatment under police guard.

"They [suspects] are being detained at the Primrose SAPS and charged with attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and illegal mining," said Fihla.

mashalek@sowetan.co.za