Six arrested in Pretoria sting operation
Two police officers, attached to different units, were among those arrested.
A total of six people were arrested during a sting operation held by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, better known as the Hawks, in Pretoria on Saturday.
Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase said they were arrested on charges which included attempted murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition, possession of a stolen car and police impersonation.
They were all between the ages of 27 and 42.
“Their arrest was carried out during a sting operation executed by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime’s Tactical Operations Management section in concert with SAPS Airwing, Special Task Force, Tshwane Tactical Response Team, Gauteng Traffic Police’s Saturation unit, K9 unit, Tracker Connect and Badboyz Security,” he said.
Nkwalase said the team was reacting to information they received about a syndicate, which was allegedly linked to a series of armed robberies in Gauteng, when the arrests were made.
They were allegedly planning an armed robbery in Pretoria.
“The joint law enforcement team members were strategically placed and a convoy of vehicles with false registrations matching the description given was spotted in Hatfield,” Nkwalase said.
He explained that as soon as the suspects caught wind of the police presence, the vehicles drove off into different directions and a chase ensued.
“Two suspects driving a Caddy were stopped and arrested in Silverton on Pretoria street near a petrol station,” he said.
Preliminary investigations revealed the vehicle was stolen in the west of Pretoria in October 2021.
“Meanwhile another team followed a Volkswagen GTI Golf 7 that drove at high speed to evade arrest. When the police tried stopping them on Alwyn Road in Nellmapius, they allegedly fired at the police who then returned fire,” Nkwalase said.
A police constable attached to the Gauteng Crime Intelligence unit was subsequently arrested, along with two other occupants in the vehicle.
“One of the suspects, a civilian wearing a full police uniform, sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to hospital where he’s under police guard,” he said.
An illegal firearm and ammunition, which would be subjected to further investigation, and fake Hawks regalia, were also recovered and seized.
“Another constable, also from Crime Intelligence, was later linked to the syndicate and arrested. She was in possession of a Nissan X Trail from Crime Intelligence fitted with a false registration which was also seized for further investigation,” Nkwalase said.
While the six were expected to appear in court on Monday, Nkwalase said more arrests were imminent as the investigations continued.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
