The daring escape planned by three gangsters – sentenced last week after a marathon trial for the brutal attack on Vereeniging businessman Dr Gary Immelman and his wife Lorna almost a decade ago – was only thwarted by one of the biggest police counter-actions yet seen in the country.
It is understood that more than 50 heavily armed SAPS members were deployed in the operation not only in Vereeniging but on access routes leading to the Vaal in all directions. The escape and bust-out operation was planned from inside the Leeuhof Prison in Vereeniging using at least one mobile phone smuggled in illegally.
The syndicate involved in the well-planned and professionally executed attack on the Immelman home is still considered one of the most ruthless and well-resourced gangs in South Africa, with access to automatic weapons, police equipment and vehicles. Only three syndicate members (believed to number well over 20) were convicted for the Immelman attack.
Two other Leeuhof inmates were also linked to the escape attempt. All five were being held together and would have been transported to the Vereeniging Courts for sentencing and trial in separate cases last Wednesday. The huge rapid reaction operation was put together by the quick thinking and professional planning of SAPS Detective Mithesh Duomath, whose meticulous and relentless investigation over much of the past decade resulted in the earlier conviction of the three gang members and their sentencing last week.
Duomath received intelligence one day before the syndicate planned to swoop in and free the three convicted gangsters and two others. Duomath, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Organised Crimes Investigation Unit could not be contacted for comment this week. The syndicate involved operates throughout South Africa but many of the gang of more than 20 heavily armed and well-equipped gang members are known to operate from Katlehong and other townships in Ekurhuleni.
Vaalweekblad’s sources said the escape bid drama started unravelling last Monday in Leeuhof Prison when warders swooped in on the five inmates using the mobile phone. One of them swallowed the sim card but the device was seized – then the full scope of the planned escape was realised and Duomath was able to put together a major counter-operation in time. The mobile phone is now part of an official investigation into the attempted escape and all five inmates could face further charges.
Here is a link to the original story:
Detective averts court escape and bloodbath in Immelman case
