Pictures: SAPS
Johannesburg - Alert Gauteng officers have arrested five house robbery suspects who were found in possession of a hijacked car when a police team spotted them travelling on the M1 highway near Sandton.
Police said they had been alerted about a house robbery in Parkview on Tuesday, when they operationalised a plan consisting of the Highway Patrol Unit, the Hawks, the Gauteng Traffic Police Saturation Unit, MDOC CI, CIT TEAM, Tracker Connect and Bad Boyz Security.
Working together to bring the criminals to book, the police team received information from Crime Intelligence about the suspects who were travelling in a Honda Ballade.
Police said they spotted the car, which was fitted with false number plates, driving on the M1 highway.
The car had allegedly been used in several other armed robberies in the Johannesburg North areas.
Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said the police were tactically deployed to apprehend the suspects.
“The Honda Ballade, with five occupants, was spotted travelling on the M1 highway. The car was followed until it was stopped in Bramley, north of Johannesburg.
“Upon searching the suspects and the vehicle, the team found two unlicensed firearms and goods suspected to be taken during a house robbery. It was established that the car was fitted with false registration plates,” said Masondo. It was a reportedly hijacked vehicle, he added.
Five suspects, aged between 26 and 42, were arrested and are expected to appear in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela has praised officers for the arrests.
“We believe this arrest will help us to close a lot of robbery cases that these suspects might be linked to,” he said.
IOL
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