LIMPOPO – The National Police Commissioner, Genl Khehla John Sitole has welcomed the arrest of four men believed to be responsible for the attack on several police officers over the weekend.
Four police officers were on patrol at the Apel shopping centre on Sunday, 21 June when they were attacked by heavily armed men who had reportedly earlier robbed a filling station in the area of an undisclosed amount.
During the incident two officers were shot and wounded and a third assaulted. They were also robbed of four firearms, reads the police report.
The injured officers were hospitalised and two members have already been discharged. The third officer is still in hospital and is in a stable condition.
According to a statement issued by Police Spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo a 72-hour Activation Plan was immediately launched following the attack and the necessary resources needed to investigate and trace the suspects were mobilised, including the province’s Crime Intelligence members.
“In a matter of a few hours, intelligence led the police to Mohlaletse Village where they managed to arrest two of the men and recovered three vehicles. Further crime intelligence revealed the location of the remaining two men and they were arrested at their hideout in Moroke Village in the Mecklenburg policing precinct on Thursday by members of the Tracking Team and Highway Patrol.”
During the arrest, the police also recovered three of the stolen firearms.
Mojapelo added that preliminary investigations revealed that these men are wanted in connection with several business robberies in both Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Two of the accused have appeared in court on four counts of attempted murder, robbery of firearms, business robbery and four counts of malicious injury to property, and wait their formal bail application on 2 July. The remaining two will make their first appearance in court within 48 hours to face the same charges as their accomplices and an additional charge of contravening the Immigration Act.
More arrests are expected as investigation continue, says Mojapelo.
Sitole commended the team for working around the clock to ensure that the people responsible for the attack on police are traced and apprehended. “I am glad that four of the people responsible for undermining the authority of the state are facing the full might of the law. Investigators of this case will be opposing bail in court and they must also not rest until they recover the one remaining firearm,” he said. Sitole also wished the member in hospital a speedy recovery.
Anyone with information on this or other such crimes, can contact the SAPS Crime Stop number at 086 00 10111. ALternatively they can send a tip-offs on MySAPS App. All information received will be treated with confidentiality.
