Springs police spokesman Capt Johannes Ramphora believes businesses are going to breathe a sigh of relief after this arrest.
“This man is off the streets of our community,” he says.
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At the time of his arrest, the 39-year-old was allegedly hiding in Kaapmuiden with the intention of crossing the border to Mozambique.
Ramphora says the suspect was allegedly involved in a spate of armed robberies involving the theft of tobacco vehicles and their contents in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, including Springs.
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The suspect is believed to have been involved in 40 armed robberies committed in three provinces.
“We launched a manhunt for the suspect in 2012 and are pleased that Springs Visible Police and Provincial Crime Intelligence members managed to arrest the suspect,” he says.
The suspect is currently in police custody, where he will remain until his first court appearance.