Three men were arrested in Atteridgeville for a spate of house robberies, burglaries and hijackings around Pretoria, police said on Tuesday.

Provincial spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila said the three men, aged between 22 and 37, were arrested on Monday afternoon at the Attlyn Mall. Follow-up operations led police to the third suspect.

“Two of the suspects have been positively linked to the robberies of two homes in Erasmia. One of them being the home of Yusuf Abramjee, Head of Crime Line.

“Abramjee, his wife and son were on Friday morning surprised by the gunmen who entered their home after jumping a wall. The robbers demanded Abramjee’s car and a shootout ensued as they drove off.”

Malila said the South African Police Service (SAPS) team comprised of Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI),  National Investigation Unit, various cluster tracing units, the Gauteng Flying Squad, reservists, Erasmia SAPS and investigators from Tracker.

The breakthrough came after the team followed up various leads following Abramjee’s robbery. This included CCTV footage. The police also received tip-offs from Crime Line and Crime Stop.

“Police recovered three hijacked and stolen vehicles, a Mini Cooper, Nissan 1400 bakkie and an Audi RS4, at the homes of the suspects. Police also seized a Mercedes Benz C class which was robbed in Laudium and Abramjee’s BMW that was taken at gunpoint.

“Two illegal firearms and ammunition were seized on Monday during the police operation. Police confiscated several items either used during robberies or stolen by the suspects.”

Malila said the men face charges of armed robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession of stolen property and extortion. The extortion charge relates to an attempt to buy a docket from police. Police seized cash from the two suspects.

They are expected to appear in the Atteridgeville Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Abramjee has welcomed the swift police action. “We must now ensure that the suspects are convicted and punished. The police have been most professional in their investigations. I am been told they will oppose bail.

“We at Crime Line also thank the public for passing on information anonymously. It appears this gang is linked to scores of cases and we urge the public to continue blowing the whistle on criminals,” Abramjee added.

Also read:

Crime Line head Yusuf Abramjee held at gunpoint