A joint operation by various police units assisted by the “war room”, Business Against Crime, Netstar tracking, and neighbourhood watch members paid off when six suspects believed to be involved in a business robbery in Richards Bay were arrested, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Sunday.
“They were arrested in Newcastle and all cellphones taken during the robbery were recovered,” Lt-Col Thulani Zwane said.
The arrested suspects, aged between 29 and 36, would appear in the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court soon.
Zwane said the robbery victims were working in the shop at about 9.15am on Saturday when they were approached by robbers who pointed firearms at them and demanded cellphones and cash.
Cellphones in the shop and cash were loaded into two bags and the robbers fled the scene in their BMW getaway vehicle. A case of business robbery was opened at Richards Bay police station.
Police and other law enforcement officers were activated and a description of the getaway car was circulated. Information was received that the car was travelling between Newcastle and Utrecht and a roadblock was set up near Newcastle at about 8.30pm.
A suspicious-looking Toyota Quantum minibus was subsequently spotted and stopped. The vehicle was searched and all the cellphones believed to have been taken during the robbery at Richards Bay were recovered. Six people in the Quantum were arrested and charged with business robbery. The BMW was later found abandoned in the Vryheid area, Zwane said.
KwaZulu-Natal acting provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Bheki Langa praised the officers for their hard work that led to the arrest of the suspects.
“I also thank all other role players who were involved in this operation, and that proves that we can do better in fighting crime if we all form a united front against crime. Our detectives will work tirelessly to check if these suspects are linked to other business robberies in the province,” he said.
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