Khumo Maleshane (29) appeared before the Wolmaransstad Magistrate’s Court on 9 January 2023 following his arrest by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation assisted by members of SAPS Crime Intelligence, K9 unit and Visible Policing in connection with a cash-in-transit robbery that took place about 5 km from Wolmaransstad on the morning of 5 January 2023.
The accused was arrested in Potchefstroom that same afternoon.
It is alleged that on Thursday, 5 January 2023 at approximately 07:10, a group of suspects allegedly rammed into a cash van that was en-route to Wolmaransstad from Klerksdorp causing the cash van to veer off the road, the armed suspects allegedly then bombed the cash van and made off with an undisclosed amount of money and two firearms belonging to the security officers.
A manhunt was immediately launched which led to the arrest of the accused, within a couple of hours.
He was arrested around 15:00 in Potchefstroom after he was found in a vehicle that allegedly fitted the description of one of the vehicles at the crime scene. He was also reportedly found in possession of a bag with over R60 000 in cash.
Both the vehicle and the money were seized for further investigation.
The accused is facing charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, malicious damage to property and contravention of the Explosives Act.
The matter was postponed to 13 January 2023, and the accused was remanded in custody.
Investigations are still ongoing and more arrests cannot be ruled out.
