Police in Parktown thwarted a planned robbery in the affluent Sandton area, after intercepting a courier company bakkie and a private Toyota bakkie on March 24.
The vehicles had six armed suspects who had two rifles and three pistols loaded with live rounds of ammunition.
Members of the Johannesburg Flying Squad quickly launched an operation, acting on information received about miscreants planning a robbery in the City using a marked courier truck.
The police followed the suspects until they stopped the vehicles on the M1 South in Sandton. The suspects were driving a branded Courier Company Ford bakkie and a white Toyota double cab bakkie.
On searching both vehicles, two rifles and three pistols were found in the possession of the suspects, leading to the immediate arrest of all six persons.
The suspects have been charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as conspiracy to commit robbery.
The firearms will undergo ballistic checks to determine if they have been used in other crimes, and the suspects will be profiled to check for likely links to other criminal activities.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni commended the members of the Johannesburg Flying Squad for their swift action in preventing what could have been a potentially deadly robbery.
“I thank our members from Flying Squad who acted swiftly after receiving the information and intercepted the suspects before they could commit crime and possibly kill innocent people. I also thank the law-abiding community of Gauteng, who continue to alert the police about criminal activities that are about to take place in our province. Working together, we will squeeze the space for the criminals in Gauteng,” said Lieutenant General Mthombeni.