Armed robbers were stopped in their tracks by Ngcobo SAPS on Saturday, 5 August 2017. In an effort to effectively address Trio Crimes, eight suspects aged between 19 and 50 were arrested in Ngcobo, near Mthatha following a robbery at a local supermarket at about 18:30.
It is alleged that one of the robbers entered the supermarket armed and forced the shop assistant into the cash office at gunpoint. He demanded money and was given an undisclosed amount of cash. Upon leaving the shop he was trapped inside one of the security doors. He then hid himself inside the ceiling of the shop passage.
Police were called and responded immediately which led to the arrest of the suspect. A revolver with 4 empty cartridges and 1 live round of ammunition were recovered from the suspect. The suspect further led police to seven partners in crime who were part of the robbery plan and waiting in a get away combi nearby in town.
Upon reaching those seven co suspects, police recovered their combi with a Western Cape registration number, a Norinco pistol with 7 live rounds and a toy gun. On circulation the firearms were found stolen, one with registered case numbers. The combi was not found stolen on circulation.
All eight suspects were arrested. They are appeared in the Ngcobo Magistrate’s Court on 7 August 2017 on charges of business robbery and possession of illegal firearms and ammunition.
Crime combating operations executed during the past week in the province led to the arrest of 1 012 suspects and the recovery of 17 firearms, 265 rounds of ammunition and 110 types of dangerous weapons including knives, pangas and dagger knives.
161 of these were made from drug related offences which are also regarded as generators of crime. 22 of these were arrested for robberies, 10 for robbery aggravating, four for house robbery and eight for business robbery.
15 vehicles were also recovered during the police operations.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga said: “Police will continue to be visible and through the executing of operations, we maintain a zero tolerance approach in the prevention of crime. We are determined to make communities safer from criminals and criminal activities but we need the support of law abiding citizens to be our eyes and ears”, she said.
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