Six suspects in two separate armed robbery cases were arrested this week in the Northern Cape.
Late evening of Wednesday, 31 January, three men were arrested in Springbok after an armed robbery took place earlier the day, approximately 20 km outside Springbok on the N7-route.
It was reported that a truck driver and two crew members were collecting money from local shops in the area, prior to the incident, said Brig. Mashay Gamieldien, police spokesperson.
At approximately 18:20, while driving on the N7, the truck was stopped by three men wearing reflector jackets. One was regulating the traffic while the other two were standing next to the road.
After stopping the truck the suspects – two of whom were wearing balaclavas – instructed the occupants to get out of the vehicle.
The suspects then searched the truck and found an undisclosed amount of cash that was collected from the shops earlier.
After that, the locked-up victims heard another vehicle stopping, which then drove off. The driver was able to notify his employer who alerted the police.
The suspects’ vehicle was stopped in Voortrekker Street in Springbok at 23:30, and the three male occupants were arrested.
They were apprehended and arrested by Sgt Pieter Mpasa, who was the team leader, and B shift members who responded on information from the community of suspicious men in a vehicle.
Police found an undisclosed amount of cash, a 9 mm Parabellum pistol with a magazine, and ammunition with the serial number filed off.
A silver Chevrolet Aveo that was allegedly used in the commission of the crime, was also confiscated.
The three suspects will soon appear in the Springbok Magistrates’ Court on charges of armed robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
- In another unrelated incident, three Somalian males were arrested on Tuesday, 30 January, on the N1 in the Colesberg policing area in the Pixley Ka Seme district.
Members of the Colesberg Highway Patrol unit received a report from the police in Graaff-Reinet of a vehicle that was allegedly involved in an armed robbery in Kinkelbos in the Eastern Cape, during which an undisclosed amount of money was robbed.
While conducting patrol duties on the N9, the members spotted the silver VW Polo fitting the description of the suspects’ vehicle.
The members then managed to stop the vehicle close to the sewage plant. When the vehicle stopped, one of the suspects jumped out and ran in the direction of the sewage plant.
The police found an undisclosed amount of cash, five cell phones, a magazine with ammunition, and one cartridge in their possession. The vehicle was also seized as it was used in the commission of a crime.
Later, the injured suspect received medical treatment but was discharged as the injury was not serious. None of the police officials were injured during the incident.
The three suspects were set to appear in the Colesberg Magistrates’ Court on charges of attempted murder, possession of suspected stolen property, and tampering with the registration plate of a vehicle.
Police commissioner in the Northern Cape, Lt Gen. Koliswa Otola, commended the teams who were involved in the apprehension and arrest of the suspects. She also thanked the community for the vital role they played in the arrest of the perpetrators.
