The five men allegedly responsible for the armed robbery of a jewellery store in Savannah Mall in Polokwane were arrested on Friday night.

The men were arrested in Hilton, near Pietermaritzburg in KZN, by members of the SAPS Limpopo Tracking Team, the Limpopo Murder and Robbery Unit, the Pietermaritzburg Highway Patrol, Magma Investigations and Security as well as Willie K9 Security, during an intelligence-led operation.

A group of armed men entered the store at around 09:00 on May 12 and demanded money and gold from a 33-year-old woman who was on duty.

They then proceeded to the display area and safe, took jewellery worth thousands of rands, and put it in bags. Two of the suspects assaulted the employees before they fled the scene in a grey sedan.

Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba says the arrested men, who are between the ages of 25 and 35, were found in possession of some of the stolen items and the getaway vehicle at the time of the arrest.

Limpopo SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe says the arrest sends a clear message that the province will never be a playground for criminals.

“I am forever indebted to the commitment of the men and women in blue for the breakthrough in these sophisticated criminal activities, in which provincial Operation ‘Wu Kwihi Nawu’ yields remarkable results,” she adds.