An alleged robber was arrested by police while waiting to get his hair cut at a barber on Thursday afternoon.

The arrest came after a customer was robbed of his bank card at a petrol station ATM earlier on the same day, after which the robber used a speed-point machine to siphon money from his victim’s bank account.

Working together, police and private security arrested the man after tracking him all the way to Benoni.

“When the multi-disciplinary team was notified of the situation, they all, without hesitation, sprang into action, and were able to locate the suspect’s vehicle after the description was circulated,” said Lyttelton SAPS spokesperson Captain Dave Miller.

Miller said that the team worked out an operational plan, and followed the suspect to the Benoni area.

Local police were called in and the team kept watch of the suspect until they arrived.

“A tactical takedown was quickly executed as the unaware suspect was still sitting in a barber’s chair about to get his hair cut,” said Miller.

Police secured the suspect and searched his vehicle, where they found a large amount of cash and two speed-point machines used to withdraw money from the victim’s bank account.

Miller said that police charged the suspect with common robbery, possession of suspected stolen property and fraud.

The man will appear in the Pretoria magistrate’s court soon.

He said that detectives from Lyttelton police would be opposing bail, and would be looking into adding additional charges against the arrested suspect.

“Criminals that think it is a good idea to go to Centurion must think again. A dedicated team of crime fighters consisting of SAPS, CPF and private security companies are making it their mission to eradicate crime from our streets,” said Miller.

Lyttelton police further acknowledged the dedication and contribution of the private security companies in working together with the SAPS to fight crime in Centurion.

“Those wishing to commit crimes in the Centurion area need to know that a dedicated team is waiting for you. Centurion is not your playground,” concluded Miller.

ALSO READ: Rekord Mamelodi 3 March 2023

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