Frank Maponya

Frank Maponya

Police in Polokwane yesterday reacted swiftly and arrested six would-be robbers following a tip-off from a member of the public.

The suspects were cornered at a house in Buite Street, in the downtown area of the Limpopo capital.

The suspects were still in the process of planning how to gain entry to their target. Polokwane police spokesman Captain Mohlaka Mashiane said they received a call in the morning from an unknown person who informed them about the planned robbery.

He said they went to the house and found the suspects inside it. The owner of the house is still unknown at this stage but investigations are continuing.

Mashiane said they confiscated four firearms.

"We also confiscated two cars that were going to be used during the robbery," Mashiane said.

He said of grave concern was that the cars were found to have been registered in both Gauteng and Limpopo.

"When we arrested the suspects we found the two cars with Gauteng registration numbers. The other Limpopo registration numbers were inside both cars.

"Upon investigation we discovered that the cars were registered in both provinces," he said.

The police spokesman said they searched the house and discovered a number of other stolen items.

Among them were two computers, a fax machine, a printer, emergency lamps, a television set and a safe.

It is not yet known where the suspects originate from.

Mashiane says preliminary investigations had indicated the suspects operated in Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West.