MOKOPANE – According to police spokesperson Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe, the suspects, between the ages of 28 and 31 years old, were nabbed in Pinaansrivier, outside Bela-Bela
“These suspects are believed to be part of a crime syndicate terrorizing motorists along the N1 South by robbing them after they got punctures or breakdowns. This was prevalent at night,” Ngoepe explained.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the victims were in a taxi which got stuck on the N1 South about 6km from the weigh bridge near Mokopane. While sitting inside the taxi waiting for assistance, six unknown suspects emerged.
“The suspects broke the drivers window, aimed their firearms and instructed the people to lie down outside the taxi. They robbed them of their cellphones, clothes and cash before fleeing the scene.
The second incident, which occurred on Monday, 4 December 2017, the victims were travelling from Gauteng to Zimbabwe when the taxi they were traveling in got a puncture.
“When they were about to attend to the puncture, two suspects entered the taxi armed with firearms and a knife, assaulted the driver and robbed the victims of valuable items before fleeing the scene,” Ngoepe explained.
During the arrest, the following items were recovered:
- 26 cellphones
- Two laptops
- Cash amounting to R2000
The suspects will appear before the Mokopane Magistrate Court soon.
The South African Police Service is appealing to all people who were traveling along the N1 South who fell victim to this syndicate between November and December 2017, to come forward to identify their stolen items or they may contact Captain Mofya at 078 817 8012 or 0825658277.
