Cop wounded in Cullinan ATM bombings

Cop wounded in Cullinan ATM bombings
Two automated teller machines were bombed by 10 men who also wounded a police officer in Cullinan, east of Pretoria, on Wednesday, Gauteng police said.

25 January 2012 | Sapa

JOHANNESBURG - Two automated teller machines were bombed by 10 men who also wounded a police officer in Cullinan, east of Pretoria, on Wednesday, Gauteng police said.

The robbers blew up the ATMs around 2am and took an undisclosed amount of cash, Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini said.

"They also shot at the patrolling officers and fled in three vehicles, but police did not return fire. A police vehicle was damaged in the shooting and one police officer was taken to hospital with a bullet wound to the hand."

The robbers were still being sought.

Earlier in the day, four men were arrested for defrauding people at ATMs in Cato Manor in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Police cornered them around 5am in the area. They were found in possession of 300 bank cards, Lt-Col Vincent Mdunge said.

"While police were searching them, another man approached them and offered them R4000 for the release of the four men."

The man was arrested for bribery. All five were expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Friday.

In Libode near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, two ATMs were bombed by a group of men at an Absa bank, Lt-Col Mzukisi Fatyela said.

"The robbers saw police officers coming and fled without taking the money around 11pm on Tuesday," he said.

No arrests had been made.