JOHANNESBURG — Police in South Africa say they shot dead seven suspected robbers and wounded nine others in a botched theft at an armored car company.

Capt. Paul Ramaloko of the South African Police Service said Sunday that officers got a tip that the thieves wanted to rob a Protea Coin depot in Robertville, a suburb west of Johannesburg.

A gunfight began Saturday night as officers tried to arrest the suspects. Ramaloko says no officers were injured in the shooting. He said they recovered firearms from the suspected robbers at the depot.

Violent crime remains common in South Africa, as unemployment remains high and options few for the nation's poor. Mass police shootings often occur as officers confront heavily armed criminal gangs.