Authorities are following up on information that they hope will lead to the arrest of at least 17 men, who robbed several stores at a shopping complex in Brakpan, East Rand police said on Wednesday.

A gang of 20 men targeted six shops on Tuesday night and made off with undisclosed amount money.

Police caught up with the armed gang on the N17 highway where a shootout erupted.

Three suspects were arrested on that scene.

Two of them were injured. They are now in hospital under heavy police guard.

Captain Dana van der Walt took one of the suspects into custody.

"The one guy was inside the garage with a firearm, we shot him through the leg. We recovered the firearm which was stolen in July in Bramley, also in a business robbery. About five metres away from him there was another 5mm laying on the ground," said van der Walt.

News: Twenty armed robbers strike