On Thursday morning, four suspects alleged to have been involved in robbing travellers after following them from the airport, were arrested.

Members of the National Investigation Unit (NINU), together with members of the airport and the SAPS Flying Squad, arrested the group in Alexandra, near Sandton.

The suspects were allegedly planning a robbery when the police team pounced on them as they were changing the number plates on their sedan.

“However, three suspects managed to flee, initiating a high-speed chase and a shootout between the suspects and the police. The suspect’s vehicle swerved off the road, crashing to a halt,” police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said.

One of the suspects was shot and wounded during the ensuing chase.

“Our team also recovered at least two handguns,” Naidoo added.

The firearms have since been sent for ballistic testing to determine if they were the weapons used in the robberies.

The latest development follows the arrest of four other suspects in January.

National police commissioner General Khehla John Sitole welcomed the arrests and praised members for their sterling work.

“I am very pleased with the progress we are making to significantly reduce this category of crime but, more importantly I am equally pleased that our proactive strategy is yielding positive results,” he said. DM