Two men jailed for armed robberies in East London

Two East London men have been found guilty of six armed robberies targeting British American Tobacco (BAT) delivery vehicles between August 2013 and April 2014

Both men were given 12-year sentences by the East London Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, according to the South African Police Service.

32-year-old Yanga Jenete and 30-year-old Ntando Ntobongwana targeted vehicles which were delivering cigarettes to spaza shops.

“The two men would threaten the driver at gunpoint, lock him inside the back of the BAT van and flee the scene with the boxes of cigarettes in a getaway vehicle,” police said.

“The Serious Organised Crime Investigation wing of the Hawks conducted a thorough investigation and, as a result, arrested Jenete and Ntobongwana during March 2015 in Cape Town.”

The men are said to have fled with a total of 48 cigarette boxes during this time.

Jenete was sentenced to a total of 48-years on four counts of robbery – 12 years for each count and five years for kidnapping. The sentences will run concurrently meaning they will run at the same time.

This means he will actually serve 12 years in prison.

Ntobongwana was sentenced to 60 years for five counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances – also 12 years for each count – and five years for kidnapping.

These sentences will also run concurrently with his 12-year sentence.

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