Limpopo Hawks rearrest CIT robbery suspect while in prison
Cash-in-transit suspect Matola Frimino was rearrested in prison and remains in custody after appearing in court for 12 robbery-related charges.
LIMPOPO – Matola David Frimino (53), who is already in custody at the Polokwane Correctional Services, was rearrested in prison on February 12 after being linked to multiple cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies.
Frimino appeared before the Makhado Magistrate’s Court on the same day, facing 12 charges, including attempted CIT robbery, attempted murder and possession of prohibited firearms.
The court postponed the case to April 1 and Frimino remains in custody after abandoning his bail application.
The Limpopo Hawks served Frimino with a warrant of arrest while in custody on the following charges:
- Attempted CIT robbery
- Five counts of attempted murder
- Two counts of malicious damage to property
- Contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002
- Possession of an unlicensed firearm
- Possession of a prohibited firearm
- Possession of ammunition
The charges stem from a July 2023 incident, when an SBV Cash Solutions armoured vehicle was ambushed on the N1 North near Williespoort while traveling from Musina.
The Hawks’ regional spokesperson Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa said a white BMW rammed the truck and two suspects opened fire on the armoured vehicle and its escort van.
“Despite the attack, the suspects failed to access the cash. The security guards managed to escape unharmed. Before fleeing in getaway vehicles, the suspects set the BMW on fire. Investigators later confirmed that the vehicle had been used in a robbery in Randburg, Gauteng,” his statement read.
The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, alongside Makhado police, forensic experts, and the Vehicle Identification Unit launched an investigation.
Frimino was first arrested on September 21, 2023, in Hoedspruit, a day after another CIT robbery and was found in possession of an AK-47 rifle and ammunition.
“Forensic analysis linked the firearm to CIT robberies in Hoedspruit and Makhado,” Mmuroa said.
Following multiple bail applications, Frimino was denied bail and remained in custody until his latest court appearance.
The Acting Provincial Hawks Head Brigadier Desmond Alexander welcomed the arrest and reaffirmed the Hawks’ commitment to tackling serious organised crime.
