Joint police force makes a breakthrough

A joint working operation by various police units led to a major breakthrough in a robbery that took place at the Jet Store in Lephalale on Tuesday 4 February.

According to the information received, five suspects invaded the store on the day in question and held the store staff hostage at gunpoint.

The suspects helped themselves to the store’s cellphones.

At the time of going to press, Bela-Bela police spokesperson Sergeant Frans Maponya said the police had not yet calculated the total number of the cellphones stolen, and the value thereof.

The police recovered two pistols, two magazines and 27 live rounds of ammunition.

The suspects are aged between 30 and 43.

Maponya said the suspects were driving on the R101, making their way to Hammanskraal when they were arrested.

He added that the suspects’ getaway car was a minibus taxi, but the police could not ascertain whether the vehicle was rented or belongs to any of them.

“The suspects are to be transferred to Lephalale this week, where they will be appearing before their local magistrate’s court on a charge of armed robbery. In Bela-Bela, the suspects will be facing a charge of possession of stolen property and will also appear this week,” Maponya said.

He further confirmed that the firearms used in the robbery were unlicensed as they did not have serial numbers.

The police are not sure yet as to where the suspects reside but investigations are underway.

The operation included Bela-Bela SAPS and Community Policing Forum, Pienaarsrivier SAPS, Modimolle Public Order Policing, Community Structures andTracker S.A.

— The BEAT