Security at i’langa Mall stops 4 criminals who robbed businesses
Swift response from Divergent Ops resulted in the arrest of four suspected robbers at i'langa Mall this morning.
According to the director of Divergent Ops, Jacques Meiring, at 08:00 four men parked a vehicle without plates or license disc in the parking lot. They walked into a shopping centre before opening hours and robbed a store.
“Suspects stormed into a shop where they held the employee’s hostage, tied them up with cable ties and robbed them of cell phones, laptops, cash and computer boxes. Meanwhile, one of the workers at the shop was fortunately inside the bathroom during the occurrence of the robbery and this employee managed to call for help” he said
“With the assistance from Urban Africa and the Mbombela Traffic Department we managed to arrest all four suspects at one of the mall exits. We recovered two firearms used in the robbery and all the stolen goods,” said Meiring.
They were handed over to the police. Meanwhile, the general manager of Ilanga Mall, Fred Smith, said they welcome the arrest of the four suspects. He said the safety of tenants is always the priority.
“I would like to thank all the security personnel who came on board and made sure that all suspects were brought to book. No one was hurt during the robbery. Will now await the outcome of the investigation.”
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Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brig Selvy Mohlala, confirmed the arrest. The four suspects are facing charges of business robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of suspected stolen property as well as contravention of traffic laws after driving the vehicle without number plates, licence disk and without a valid driver’s licence.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court soon. The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lt Gen Semakaleng Manamela, has applauded security officers at the mall for a job well done. “We have been emphasising the importance of collaborated efforts in the fight against crime, including tackling business robberies.
We are grateful for the efforts displayed by our partners, which gives courage that this war is winnable.”
