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By Citizen Reporter

Journalist


LISTEN: OR Tambo employee recounts events during brazen armed robbery

The worker who called in to a radio station thinks the heist was an inside job.


As police work round the clock to get more information about a brazen armed robbery that took place at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday evening, an eyewitness who works at the airport might hold a clue to the events that transpired during the heist.

The Hawks, police and the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) are investigating how a container believed to have held millions of rand was seized by a group of robbers who were reportedly using a marked police van.

South African Airways (SAA) has confirmed that the container that was supposed to be on one of its flights was stolen during a robbery at the airport.

With questions being asked about how the suspects passed through airport security, a caller who works at the airport Thabo (not his real name) called Talk Radio 702 alleging the robbery could have been an inside job, as widely suspected.

He said initially when he saw the white van, he thought it could have been a convoy transporting a government official, but it was clear to him that was not the case.

Thabo said the robbery, which Acsa confirmed happened at about 7.45pm, took place as police at OR Tambo were changing shifts.

“Yesterday [Tuesday] around 6.15pm to 6.30pm that flight got delayed. I just saw an SP Ford focus, the white car, but it was branded with police marks. So we thought maybe it was … part of an escort.

“What surprised me was that there was no guard force, and if you check the time, this thing happened around seven when police were changing shifts,” he said.

Listen to Thabo’s call below:

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