MOKOPANE – BREAKTHROUGH investigations by task teams and tracing units of the SAPS, resulted in the arrest last week of three suspects in connection with a series of filling station robberies.
Three of the six suspects who allegedly robbed garages at Mokopane, Polokwane and Jane Furse were nabbed while the other three are still on the run.
In the early hours of April 20, four filling stations experienced a rude awakening when they were attacked in a series of incidents that started at Mokopane to Polokwane (two filling stations) and ultimately at Jane Furse. Safes in all the filling stations were blasted and cash money, undisclosed were taken in the process.
All the four scenes preliminary investigations showed that a vehicle with six occupants were used, reported Col Ronel Otto, provincial police spokesperson in a media statement.
The order to immediately establish a task team to investigate these cases were given by the provincial commissionerLt Gen Fannie Masemola.
The task team consisting of a team of detectives through intelligence gathering started the investigation and a massive search for the suspects were embarked upon. “The hard work put together by the team, through the help of community yielded positive results promptly when three suspects were arrested with the following confiscations; a getaway vehicle reportedly hijacked in Motetema; seven fire arms, namely four pistols, three riffles and cash money. A search for the remaining three suspects is still on,” said Otto.
The sterling work done by the task team was applauded by Masemola, for their meticulously and prompted arrest of the suspects.
He further assured the community that criminal activities will never be tolerated in this province.
The three suspects will appear before Polokwane magistrate court on charges of business robbery later this week, reported Otto.
