Six suspects linked to a Mitchells Plain robbery were arrested on Friday night, October 18, when police stopped their getaway vehicle in Delft outside Cape Town.
In a double strike, four more suspects were arrested in Kleinmond in connection with an armed house robbery committed in Gugulethu.
Members of the Maitland Flying Squad intercepted the suspects' Ford Ranger, which had false number plates, during a patrol in Delft. The vehicle was believed to have been used in the earlier Mitchells Plain business robbery.
“Members searched the vehicle and discovered two blank firearms and nine 9mm rounds of ammunition. On further inspection, the members found that the firearms were modified to fire 9mm rounds,” Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie, police spokesperson said.
In addition to the weapons, officers seized an undisclosed amount of cash believed to be connected to the robbery. Six suspects, aged between 18 and 24, were arrested on the spot.
“The vehicle was also seized as an instrument used in the commission of a crime,” Pojie said.
In the second bust, Kleinmond SAPS arrested four suspects following a house robbery in the area. During the operation, police recovered stolen property and a firearm suspected to have been used in the crime.
The weapon was traced back to a previous robbery involving a security guard in Gugulethu, highlighting the suspects' involvement in multiple offences.
The four suspects will face charges of house robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Both groups of suspects are scheduled to appear in court, with the Delft suspects heading to Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court.
IOL