According to the Carletonville police, employees of a cash loans business in Van Zyl Smit Street were working when the latest incident happened on Saturday. At about 15:00, three men stormed in. One pulled out a firearm and they forced the employees and the business owner to hand over all the money. The robbers ran out and sped away in a silver Toyota Corolla Quest.
On Sunday morning, the Carletonville police received information that the same vehicle had been seen in town again. Two detectives, Constable Andrew Phakedi and Malesela Kekana tracked it down and arrested the two occupants.
The Corolla had false number plates, but the police found the real ones hidden in the vehicle.
Members of the police’s trio task team continued with the investigation and arrested another suspect early on Monday morning.
By the time the newspaper went to print, the police were still searching for the last suspect.
Police say the suspects come from the Vaal and the East Rand.
The group has been linked to the robbery at Hyper Cellars on 23 June and a previous robbery at the same business that was robbed on Saturday. The robbers seem to have been very organised, judging by the numerous sets of number plates they used on their car.
In the robbery at Hyper Cellars, security cameras captured footage of the men jumping into the Corolla, which then had the registration number BY 05 BC GP. The number plate was later found to be false. When the same car was seen on Sunday, it had the number plates JF 41 NF GP. The car’s real registration number is FT 42 JT GP, as per the license disc. The suspects appeared in court on Tuesday.
