Three suspects were sentenced by the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court for a number of armed robberies committed last year in the Parkview policing precinct.
According to Parkview police’s acting station commander, Colonel Sandile Mkhize, one of the three suspects received a sentence of 17 years while the other two received 13 years each. He explained that the 17-year sentence was because the suspect was the driver of the vehicle and was in possession of stolen goods.
Mkhize said the three men were arrested in Hillbrow last year after they committed an armed robbery on the corner of Rutland and Clarence avenues in Craighall Park. He further explained that during the robbery the victim’s cellphone was stolen. Using the stolen cellphone’s location facility, constables Percy Kgatla and Samuel Maluleka of Parkview Police Station tracked the trio’s location and made the arrest in Hillbrow.
Read: Education Department’s R6.8m fraud alleged mastermind bust
He added that it is believed they had been pretending to be a local taxi which would pick up passengers and then rob them along Jan Smuts Avenue. Upon investigation, the police also found that the taxi was a cross-border taxi which was licensed to transport people from South Africa to Zimbabwe and vice versa.
“I would like to commend the hard work of the investigation officer, Captain Menzi Mya and detective commander Maxwel Mothlari as well as all members of the detectives unit whose hard work has paid off. Without their dedication, passion and focus these convictions would not have been possible,” concluded Mkhize.
The three suspects will serve their sentence at the Johannesburg Central Prison.
-
-
-
-
