An elderly farm couple in Coligny were assaulted on Wednesday when a group of men pretending to be policemen tried to rob them, North West police said.A group of six men drove up to the couple's farm in a bottle-green car flashing a blue light at 9am, said Inspector Carina Fourie.
The men identified themselves as South African Police Service members and said they were investigating stock thefts in the area.
The owner of the farm invited the men inside, while one man stayed outside. Once inside, the five fake police officers assaulted the owner and his wife.
They demanded the keys to the safe and money.
One of the workers on the farm noticed something was amiss. He ran to fetch another man who was renting a place on the farm.
The tenant ran to the front of the house and confronted the look-out who had remained outside. They argued, then struggled and the look-out fired a shot from a handgun.
On hearing the shot, the five men inside abandoned their attempts to rob the farm and fled.
No one was injured.
Police asked the public to be cautious when suspicious people claim to be police.
"If someone claims to be police they must have an ID card and not just a blue light," said Fourie.
Source : Sapa /ts/gj
Date : 18 Feb 2009 15:39
