Tebogo Monama

Tebogo Monama

As criminals destroyed one more ATM yesterday, bringing the total to 11 in just a week, detectives revealed there was a breakthrough in fighting the bombings.

Last month there had been a record 55 blasts and since January 182 ATMs had been bombed countrywide.

Yesterday four men driving a metallic green BMW bombed an Absa machine in Soshanguve, Tshwane, at a tuck shop and fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

This year alone there have been seven convictions of people found dealing and handling explosives, and those accused of bombing ATMs.

A private inspector mandated by mining houses to fight the spate of ATM bombings around the country said the Free State had four convictions, followed by Gauteng with two convictions. North West had one conviction.

In the three provinces there are eight pending cases. One criminal has escaped in the Free State and two in North West.

"We also have three people in Free State and one in North West who have skipped bail."

This week police and the private investigator arrested three men accused of dealing and handling explosives in various parts of the country.