Police foil cash-in-transit robbery in Soweto – five arrested

Police have arrested a gang of five suspected robbers in connection with cash-In-transit (CIT) and courier vehicles robberies.

The suspects, aged between 30 and 38, were arrested on Friday, 19 May 2023 at Emndeni in Soweto after police from Crime Intelligence and the Tactical Response Team received information that the armed suspects were en route to commit a robbery.

Equipment seized

Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said the criminals were found with a number of items including three rifles, a pistol, large amounts of ammunition, two cars that were reported to be hijacked and a vehicle jammer.

“Two of the cars that were found at the premises, a BMW and Hyundai H100 bakkie, were reported to be hijacked in Sandton and Linden this year.

“The suspects will be charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, as well as possession of suspected hijacked motor vehicle. They are expected to appear before the Magistrates’ Court in due course,” Masondo said.

Arrest applauded

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela applauded the police for foiling yet another aggravated robbery.

“I am pleased with the manner in which the police handled this information and arrested the suspects before they could commit another crime. The firearms will be sent for ballistics tests and suspects profiled to establish the crimes that they were involved in,” said Mawela.

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Cigarettes seized at Beitbridge

Meanwhile, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs Division intercepted a truck carrying 440 master boxes of Remington Gold cigarettes, with estimated total value of R9 million, which were falsely declared as Cotton Oil Cake.

The Customs Officer conducting random inspection on Saturday 20 May became suspicious when the value of goods declared on the packing document and the load on the truck did not match.

Sars said when officers questioned the driver, he provided answers that were inconsistent with the document. “He then redirected the truck to the inspection ramp and unpacked the load and discovered goods hidden under Cotton Oil Cake,” Sars said.

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