The exchange of fire between police officers and three suspected armed robbers is believed to have stopped a spatter of armed robberies that had rocked the country.
The three suspected armed robbers, Jeffery Ogopeng of Serowe, Zachariah Rankwaila and Marate Molebalwa, both from Palapye, were shot dead by the police in an exchange of fire that broke out when the trio was allegedly trying to rob a security company vehicle that was transporting money.
It is understood that a group of detective police officers were alerted about the planned heist a day before the incident. The police officers then took positions at the planned crime scene in Serowe on Monday morning waiting to catch the criminals in the act.
It is understood that when the suspects saw the police officers they opened fire and one of the bullets hit the police van, but none of the officers was wounded.
Two other suspects, Morapedi Keoagile and Patrick Lorato, managed to escape but were later arrested.
The pair last week appeared before Serowe senior magistrate on two counts of theft, unlawful wounding of security guards and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Speaking to Sunday Standard, Superintendent Thomas Letebele, of Serowe police station, said the number of suspects might increase as the investigations continue.
When asked about the firearms that the suspects used during the shootout, he said that he was not aware that the firearms had been used in previous robberies.
