Four alleged members of a business robbery syndicate are expected to apply for bail in the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court next week following their arrest last week almost immediately after reportedly committing a robbery during which almost 200 cell phones were stolen from a store in Bela-Bela.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe could not identify the suspects yet but confirmed that they had appeared in the local magistrate’s court on Monday after which the case was postponed to 22 August.
With reference to their arrest he stated that four men and two women had arrived at a store in Bela-Bela at about 10:30 in two vehicles, a white Volkswagen Polo and black Volkswagen City Golf. Upon entering the store they reportedly ordered the staff to lie down and then tied them up.
The store manager was instructed to unlock the safe and put all the cell phones, 198 in total, into a bag, according to Ngoepe.
After the robbers had fled the scene the victims contacted the Police who immediately circulated the information about the vehicles. Pienaarsrivier Police spotted the City Golf near the Maubane off-ramp and a high-speed chase ensued resulting in the suspects being cornered and arrested.
Sixty-three cell phones, 11 wrist watches and 15 wallets as well as the vehicle were confiscated.
Preliminary investigations revealed that all the suspects were from Gauteng and linked to a series of business robberies committed across Limpopo and in other provinces. The suspects, apparently targeting sports and clothing stores, have been linked with a series of similar crimes that were committed since January 2019, according to Ngoepe.
Story: RC Myburgh
>>rc.observer@gmail.com
