FOUR men allegedly behind a number of jewellery heists at Durban shopping centres were arrested on Saturday.
According to reports, the men were nabbed when they were on their way to hit a jewellery shop in Musgrave. The Hawks received a tip-off about the planned robbery at the centre and officers from various units were immediately dispatched, tracing the suspects to the M25.
Hawks provincial spokesperson, Simphiwe Mhlongo said the suspects were cornered in one of the service stations in Durban North and were arrested. They were found in possession of four firearms. The men appeared briefly in the Durban Magistrates Court on 27 June and will reappear on 1 July.
Mhlongo said the Hawks are in the process of establishing whether the suspects in custody are linked to recent robberies, including a robbery last week at Narandas jewellery shop at Gateway, where the thieves got away with two boxes of jewellery and cash. Earlier this month a group of armed robbers stormed Beverly Jewellers at Pavilion and took jewellery, and Hardwick & Mazzoni Jewellers at Westville Mall and another shop in Phoenix also fell victim last month.
