Police have arrested another man suspected of being part of a gang of robbers that follow people from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport and rob them when they reach their destinations.
Police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the man was arrested on Saturday during a joint anti-crime operation conducted by the South African Police Service’s National Investigative Unit (NINU)‚ the Ekurhuleni Metro Police and the car-tracking company Tracker.
“The team was busy monitoring the routes to and from the OR Tambo International when they saw a white Mercedes Benz which description fitted that of a vehicle suspected of being used by men who followed unsuspecting victims from the airport‚ eventually robbing them at their destinations. Background checks on the vehicle revealed that it had been hijacked in April this year in Elsburg‚ Germiston.
“The 36-year-old suspect‚ who was travelling alone‚ was arrested and it has since been established that he was wanted in connection with at least three other armed robbery cases‚” Brig Naidoo said.
“On top of that it was established that the suspect is a seasoned criminal with murder‚ armed robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition convictions under his belt‚” he added.
The man is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday where he is due to face armed robbery charges.
“This arrest is very encouraging for the NINU team‚ coming as it does a few weeks after they confronted and brought down another set of dangerous robbers‚ an incident that resulted in the fatal shooting of two of the robbers and the arrest of another‚ in Pretoria Moot‚” Brig Naidoo said.
National police commissioner General Riah Phiyega‚ who established the NINU team to look into syndicates and specific crimes‚ commended the police officers for their vigilance.
“This arrest‚ like last month’s arrest in the Moot area of Pretoria‚ is a clear indication that we are determined to uproot the so-called airport following robberies as they are giving our country a bad name. We fully believe that these continuous arrests will serve as a warning to others that we are keeping a watchful eye over our ports of entry‚” Gen Phiyega said.
Police nab another suspected member of 'airport' robbers gang
Police have arrested another man suspected of being part of a gang of robbers that follow people from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport and rob them when they reach their destinations.
Police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the man was arrested on Saturday during a joint anti-crime operation conducted by the South African Police Service’s National Investigative Unit (NINU)‚ the Ekurhuleni Metro Police and the car-tracking company Tracker.
“The team was busy monitoring the routes to and from the OR Tambo International when they saw a white Mercedes Benz which description fitted that of a vehicle suspected of being used by men who followed unsuspecting victims from the airport‚ eventually robbing them at their destinations. Background checks on the vehicle revealed that it had been hijacked in April this year in Elsburg‚ Germiston.
“The 36-year-old suspect‚ who was travelling alone‚ was arrested and it has since been established that he was wanted in connection with at least three other armed robbery cases‚” Brig Naidoo said.
“On top of that it was established that the suspect is a seasoned criminal with murder‚ armed robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition convictions under his belt‚” he added.
The man is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday where he is due to face armed robbery charges.
“This arrest is very encouraging for the NINU team‚ coming as it does a few weeks after they confronted and brought down another set of dangerous robbers‚ an incident that resulted in the fatal shooting of two of the robbers and the arrest of another‚ in Pretoria Moot‚” Brig Naidoo said.
National police commissioner General Riah Phiyega‚ who established the NINU team to look into syndicates and specific crimes‚ commended the police officers for their vigilance.
“This arrest‚ like last month’s arrest in the Moot area of Pretoria‚ is a clear indication that we are determined to uproot the so-called airport following robberies as they are giving our country a bad name. We fully believe that these continuous arrests will serve as a warning to others that we are keeping a watchful eye over our ports of entry‚” Gen Phiyega said.
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