A 50-year-old man, believed to be part of a notorious syndicate responsible for a string of ATM bombings across Limpopo, was arrested on Monday night, October 6 at a hideout in Stinkwater, Hammanskraal.

He is the 10th suspect in the case, expected to appear in the Tiyani Magistrate’s Court on October 8. He was apprehended during an intelligence-driven operation led by the provincial tracking team, which is actively tracing the remaining members of the group.

Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela explained that earlier this year, the syndicate had carried out a series of violent incidents.

On March 7, armed men held employees at gunpoint at a fuel station in Morutji Village under the Bolobedu policing precinct, before bombing an ATM. However, no cash was taken.

The next day, the same group targeted another ATM in the Giyani policing area, where they stole an undisclosed amount of cash.

“During their escape, they encountered police, leading to a shootout in which one of their getaway vehicles, a silver sedan, was abandoned and later seized for investigation,” said Ledwaba.

Ledwaba said acting on intelligence, operational teams tracked the suspects as they travelled from Giyani to Gauteng on March 9.

“They were intercepted on the R81 Highway near the Mall of the North in Polokwane while driving two vehicles: a white sedan with four occupants and a maroon sedan with five.”

Searching the two vehicles, police found explosives, two unlicensed firearms with 33 live rounds, and dye-stained cash suspected to be from the ATM bombings.

Ledwaba said the arrested individuals aged between 28 and 43 include four South African nationals and five undocumented foreign nationals.

He confirmed that the suspects face multiple charges, including possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession of illegal explosives, possession of dye-stained cash, and contravention of the Immigration Act by the undocumented foreign nationals.

He added that investigations are still ongoing and that more arrests are expected as the operation continues.

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