Masoka Dube
Masoka Dube
Two men who claimed to be residents of Dube hostel in Soweto were arrested in Mpumalanga less than 20 minutes after allegedly robbing one of the province's biggest bus companies on Tuesday morning.
The men, aged 32 and 55, were arrested in Hazyview, Mpumalanga. They are expected to appear in the White River magistrates' court today on charges of armed robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The men allegedly entered the Buscor offices in Hazyview and ordered company employees to lie on the floor while they helped themselves to cash. One of Buscor's employees managed to sneak out and call the police.
"When we arrived at the offices a while later the robbers had already disappeared," said Hazyview police spokesman Captain John Mbambo.
"We launched a manhunt in the town and arrested them within 15 minutes."
He said the men were arrested near a local taxi rank while still in possession of the cash and two fully loaded firearms.
The police believe the men had intended to escape using a taxi when. They were arrested after being identified by the person who had sneaked out of the offices during the robbery.
It was later established that the two men were from KwaZulu-Natal.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old woman who walked out of the offices just minutes before the robbers struck was taken in for questioning and released later.
According to police customers who buy tickets from Buscor's offices are not normally permitted inside the offices.
At this stage the police do not rule out the possibility that she might be an accomplice.
"She told us that her friend was typing her CV in one of the offices," Mbambo said
"We let her go but if our investigations link her to the crime we will arrest her.
"We also suspect that it might be an inside job since it was the company's banking day," .
Two robbers arrested 15 minutes after holding up Mpumalanga bus company
Masoka Dube
Masoka Dube
Two men who claimed to be residents of Dube hostel in Soweto were arrested in Mpumalanga less than 20 minutes after allegedly robbing one of the province's biggest bus companies on Tuesday morning.
The men, aged 32 and 55, were arrested in Hazyview, Mpumalanga. They are expected to appear in the White River magistrates' court today on charges of armed robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The men allegedly entered the Buscor offices in Hazyview and ordered company employees to lie on the floor while they helped themselves to cash. One of Buscor's employees managed to sneak out and call the police.
"When we arrived at the offices a while later the robbers had already disappeared," said Hazyview police spokesman Captain John Mbambo.
"We launched a manhunt in the town and arrested them within 15 minutes."
He said the men were arrested near a local taxi rank while still in possession of the cash and two fully loaded firearms.
The police believe the men had intended to escape using a taxi when. They were arrested after being identified by the person who had sneaked out of the offices during the robbery.
It was later established that the two men were from KwaZulu-Natal.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old woman who walked out of the offices just minutes before the robbers struck was taken in for questioning and released later.
According to police customers who buy tickets from Buscor's offices are not normally permitted inside the offices.
At this stage the police do not rule out the possibility that she might be an accomplice.
"She told us that her friend was typing her CV in one of the offices," Mbambo said
"We let her go but if our investigations link her to the crime we will arrest her.
"We also suspect that it might be an inside job since it was the company's banking day," .