Limpopo Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has lauded the excellent investigation conducted by members of the Trio Task Team in Vhembe that led to the arrest of seven suspects, which included a warrant-officer station at the police's Crime Intelligence Unit in Louis Trichardt, regarding the armed robbery at the Total filling station at the Capricorn Toll Plaza on Monday. The arrests of the suspects led to the recovery of the stolen goods.
According to Provincial Police Spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, a group of suspects entered the Bonjour shop on the premises at about 03:00 on Monday and held the staff at gunpoint. They fled the scene thereafter with a drop safe containing an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes in a white Toyota bakkie and a Toyota Corolla Quest.
"The police were quick to respond to the incident and a well-coordinated and intelligence-driven operation was conducted, which led to the arrest of the seven suspects at different locations [on Tuesday]," said Mojapelo in a press release.
The first to be arrested was a 36-year-old female employee of the filling station at her workplace. Further investigation implicated more suspects and the 52-year-old police warrant-officer was apprehended at his work place. The rest of the suspects were arrested at their homes in Shayandima and Mphephu respectively.
During the arrest, the police recovered several items that were positively linked to the robbery, including the drop safe, packets of cigarettes of various brands, the Toyota Corolla and the Toyota Hilux bakkie.
"These prompt arrests should send a clear message that as we continue to put more boots on the ground for a safer festive season, the police will be relentless in bringing all perpetrators to book, regardless of their statuses," said Hadebe in the press release.
At the time of our going to press, the seven suspects were expected to appear in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate's Court on charges of business robbery and the possession of suspected stolen property.