A multidisciplinary team comprising of Bojanala District Detective Task Team, Marikana Visible Policing, Vala Umgodi deployment, Rustenburg Crime Intelligence, Operational Command Centre Unit (OCCU), Sun City and Mogwase Detectives and Rustenburg Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) apprehended five suspects between the ages of 30 and 52 during a Crime Intelligence driven operation on Thursday, 18 and Friday, 19 April 2024, for business robberies, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
The suspects were arrested after intelligence regarding a Bolt driver who was suspected to be using his two taxis to commit business robberies, was received and operationalised.
Subsequently, the team traced and arrested a 34-year-old suspect at Phokeng and found a firearm inside his vehicle. The suspect admitted during questioning that he was involved in a business robbery committed last month in Sun City. Furthermore, he implicated four other suspects who are Lesotho nationals and apparently in the country illegally.
The four suspects were arrested on Friday morning at their residential places and three of them were found in possession of unlicensed firearms, of which two were found to be replica firearms. Two cases of business robbery, four counts of contravention of Immigration Act, 2002 (No. 13 of 2002) and count of possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition were registered.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Rustenburg, Mankwe and Bafokeng Magistrates’ Courts on Monday, 22 April 2024, on different charges.
The Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, congratulated all Units Involved for a sterling job that led to the arrests of the five suspects. The General also encouraged businessmen to report cases as it was discovered that out of nine business robberies that the suspects allegedly committed, only two were reported to the police.
