The Boksburg police have recently arrested a gang of men believed to be involved in the series of robberies involving a white Toyota Quantum.
The gang is believed to have been active in different parts of Ekurhuleni, including Boksburg.
Following a number of complaints about the robbers driving in what appears to be a legitimate taxi in the city, the Boksburg SAPS tracing unit members Sgt Calvin Mphaphuli and Const Makomene, as well as the EMPD Tracing Unit, were tasked with finding and bringing the gang to book.
According to Boksburg SAPS spokesperson Const Nstako Ledwaba, the officers launched a manhunt for the suspects and managed to arrest 10 of them.
The Toyota Quantum was also seized. Tablets, cellphones and bank cards reportedly stolen during the series of robberies were allegedly found in the suspects’ possession.
* In the latest incident, a pregnant woman was recently robbed by thugs travelling in the now confiscated taxi. She got into the taxi along Market Street, Boksburg CBD, and once in the taxi, the occupants stabbed her and stole her bank cards.
They demanded the personal identification number for the bank cards and she gave it to them. They travelled with her to Putfontein where she was later dumped in a secluded open veld.
She later discovered that her bank account was also cleaned out using an ATM located in the Etwatwa area.
This came after a number of similar cases reported in the city. Ledwaba said during the previous cases, the robbers travelled along different taxi routes and pretended their vehicle was a legitimate taxi.
Once their targeted victims were in the taxi, they would then drive with them to a secluded area and rob them of their personal belongings.
The police issued a warning earlier this month saying commuters should avoid taxis without taxi association stickers on it.
This has, however, proven to be not enough to help commuters identify the good and the bad taxis on the road because the confiscated Toyota Quantum has Benoni Taxi Association/Transport Operators Pace initiators Conglomerated Associations (Topica) and National Taxi Alliance stickers on it.
Police are are urging those who fell victim to such robberies, to contact Det Sgt Calvin Mphaphuli on 071 422 7417 or 011 841 6858.
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