Witbank Police arrested four suspects who robbed two separate petrol station convenience stores and in both cases, cigarettes were on the ‘grocery list’.
The four suspects aged 22, 32, 40 and 43-years-old appeared in Witbank Magistrate Court on Friday, April 17 on charges of armed robbery.
“During the arrests of the suspects cigarettes that were robbed from the two businesses were confiscated by the police,” said Captain Eddie Hall, Head: Corporate Communications Witbank SAPS.
The first incident occurred on Friday, April 10 at 18:20 when five armed suspects entered the quick shop at a garage in Watermeyer Street Klipfontein and held the staff at gunpoint and robbed the garage of cash to the value of R15 000 and cigarettes to the value of R75 000.
The second incident where the robbers were involved was on Wednesday, April 15 at 12:04 when three armed suspects held the staff and security officer of a garage in Klarinet at gunpoint and robbed the workers from their cell phones and cigarettes to the value of R6 000.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on Thursday, April 16 briefed the media on amendments to the regulations governing the lockdown. During the briefing Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, confirmed the ban on the buying and selling of cigarettes would remain.
