South Africa: Armed Robbers Arrested En Route To Another Robbery

Gauteng police have arrested five men who were en route to another robbery and suspected to be behind cash-in-transit robberies and robbing courier vehicles.

They were apprehended on Friday while reportedly on their way to perpetrate another crime.

The group, aged 30 to 38, was apprehended in Emndeni, Soweto.

They were discovered with three weapons, a pistol, magazines, ammo, two hijacked automobiles, and a jammer, according to police.

The crime intelligence and tactical response team received information about the armed suspects who were reportedly on their way to commit a robbery, according to Gauteng police spokeswoman Lt-Col Mavela Masondo.

“The police intercepted the suspects while still in Soweto, and a search was conducted,” Masondo said. 

“Police have since established that the vehicles found during the raid a BMW and Hyundai H100 bakkie were reported to have been hijacked in Sandton and Linden this year.”

Masondo stated that the five face accusations of robbery conspiracy, possession of unauthorized firearms and ammunition, and possession of suspected, hijacked motor vehicles.

They are scheduled to appear in court shortly.

Lt-Gen Elias Mawela, the commissioner of police in Gauteng, praised the police for foiling the intended robbery.

“I am pleased with how the police handled this information and arrested the suspects before they could commit another crime. 

"The firearms will be sent for ballistic tests and suspects profiled to establish the crimes that they were involved in,” he said.