By line: Andani Matumba
09 February 2022
The collaboration of resources between a Security Company and SAPS led to the arrest of three suspects linked to a house robbery incident that took place in Ermelo.
The robbery is said to have occurred yesterday, Tuesday 08 February 2022 and due to a good working relationship as few hours later, the trio were cornered at Etwatwa in Gauteng Province.
According to the police report, on the day in question, a 47-year-old man was opening a gate at his residence in Ermelo in order to transport a child to school.
Three armed male suspects then emerged from nowhere and held him and other four people, including the child at gunpoint.
It is said that the suspects forced the man back to the house where the demands of money were made.
These men then tortured the victim using a hot clothing iron whilst ransacking the house.
The suspects reportedly took money, jewellery, a laptop and cell phones.
After the said robbery, the suspects are said to have fled the scene with the robbed items.
Police at Ermelo as well as Acsu Security Company were notified about the incident and the team coordinated their resources where, through the assistance of SAPS members from Springs (in Gauteng), they managed to trace and located the suspects in Etwatwa (Gauteng).
During the arrest of the three, police seized three firearms with ammunition which were reportedly found in their possession.
Two of those recovered firearms belong to the SAPS, one was robbed in Ivory Park meanwhile the other was stolen in Hercules.
In addition, suspects were found with suspected stolen property, including money, a laptop, jewellery and cell phones.
Two vehicles, a Mercedes Benz AMG (not reported stolen) as well as an Opel Corsa bakkie were also confiscated and they will form part of the investigation as police believe that these cars may have been used in the commission of crime.
The suspects are facing several charges, including house robbery, possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of suspected stolen property and more charges could be added.
Police cannot rule out the possibility of linking the suspects committed elsewhere as the seized firearms will also undergo some forensic tests in order to determine whether they were not used in the commission of crime elsewhere.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela has welcomed the arrest of the three and specifically thanked the good working relationship that was displayed by the Acsu Security Company in collaboration with the SAPS members from both Mpumalanga and Gauteng Provinces.
“Crime does not respect boundaries and if we can continue to team up like this, then there is nothing that will defeat us in the battle against crime ” said the General.
