A man was arrested after he allegedly tried to rob a restaurant with a toy gun in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.
The man went into the restaurant on Tuesday afternoon, pretending to be a customer.
"The suspect allegedly entered the restaurant in the city centre and pretended to be a customer. He then pulled out an object which resembled a firearm, put it on the counter and demanded cash," said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
He said the cashier's colleagues activated a panic button while a call for help was made from a nearby supermarket and security personnel.
He tried to run out empty-handed, but was arrested by security officers.
"He was found to be in possession of a toy gun. Police were summoned to the scene and the man was charged for attempted business robbery," Mohlala said.
He is expected to appear in the Emalahleni Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
Mohlala said Mpumalanga provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela commended the partnership between security companies and the SAPS in the area, as both law enforcement agencies have a common enemy which is crime.
IOL