Rustenburg -A 46-year-old policeman arrested for armed robbery will appear in court this week, North West police said on Sunday.
The policeman and three others allegedly bombed an automated teller machine (ATM) in Mogwase a week ago.
North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said Sergeant Sello Molefe who is stationed at the Rustenburg Tactical Response Team (TRT), Mcebeni Benene, 38, Arrao Silva, 44, and Bokamoso Moabi, 39, were arrested for the ATM bombing, business robbery, five counts of attempted murder and two counts of carjacking.
“The accused were nabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning, July 31, 2022, following crimes allegedly committed at a petrol filling station on the R510 road near Mogwase outside Rustenburg,“ Brigadier Mokgwabone said.
He said the four reportedly arrived at the filling station driving in two vehicles - a silver Volkswagen Polo and a BMW X5.
They allegedly pointed firearms at customers and staff and went to an automated teller machine and bombed it with explosives.
They did not take the money from the ATM as the cash container did not open.
“The suspects then took an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register and hijacked a vehicle and a motor bike on their way out. Police were alerted of the incident and through assistance of a car tracking company, the hijacked vehicle was traced to Sondela informal settlement while Molefe and Benene were arrested in Boitekong and Tlhabane respectively.”
During the arrest, the police seized a rifle and boxes of cigarettes allegedly taken during the robbery.
Following further investigations, Arrao Silva and Bokamoso Moabi were arrested at Boitekong and Tlhabane respectively.
They appeared in the Mankwe Magistrate's Court in Mogwase and the case against them was postponed to August 11.
IOL