Four Zimbabwean nationals are to appear at the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Monday on seven counts of house robbery after police raided their residence in Olievenhoutbosch and recovered several stolen items, police told Rekord.
The arrest comes after several cases of house robbery in the area were reported since Monday evening. “The suspects entered the houses by breaking or kicking down the door. In other cases they used pangas to cut the door and sometimes used firearms to shoot open the door.”
“These suspects would enter the homes while the family was sleeping or would hold them at gunpoint if they waked up during the robbery. Several homes and shacks have been ransacked and the suspects would take electrical appliances, cellphones and laptops,” said police spokesperson, Sergeant Ann Poortman.
The police chased after the criminals after they had received a call from a resident who had their home robbed in the early hours of Friday morning.
“On Friday morning, they again robbed a house and just when the robbers left, the victim called the police. Police rushed to the scene and saw people running in different directions with items in their hands. After chasing them, the police managed to arrest them,” Poortman said.
It was confirmed that the alleged robbers were linked to the recent robberies in the area after they were all positively identified by all of their victims. “Police went to the residence of the suspects and confiscated most of the items that were stolen. That includes 30 cellphones, an iPad, four laptops and a flat screen TV. A Baby Browning pistol was also recovered with one live round in it and they also found six other live rounds,” said Poortman.
The alleged criminals, two aged 25, one 28 and the other 32, are in police custody and are expected to appear at the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Monday. “They are currently held at the Olievenhoutbosch police station and are facing seven counts of house robbery and one count of house break-in,” Poortman said.
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