Rustenburg – A 31 year old man was arrested in connection with a robbery at Wescoal Mine in Delmas on Wednesday, Mpumalanga police said.
Spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said a group of armed men stormed into the mine at about 2am.
“They overpowered the security guard and held four victims, including the supervisor, the geologist, the mechanic, and the guard at gunpoint. It is said that the suspects used cable-ties to tie their victims before they robbed them of three bakkies, a diesel bowser with 1 000 litres of diesel as well as a water pump.
“They then drove off in three bakkies, with their victims at the back of one of the bakkies. It is also reported that two of the bakkies were pulling trailers, one with diesel and the other with water pump. The suspects are said to have drove via Kendal Gravel road and after about 3km from the mine they abandoned the bakkie which the four victims were held and tied, then they fled in the other two bakkies,” Mohlala said.
The mechanic managed to loosen himself and freed the other three before alerting a security company who then reported the incident to the police at Delmas.
A business robbery case was opened and members of the detective branch were assigned to probe the incident. A team consisting of experts in the field of investigation was assembled and they immediately began tracing the suspects.
“At around 1pm today (Wednesday) they cracked the case and recovered the two vehicles that were robbed. The cars were found at Botleng, one at the graveyard and another next to Syco Gondwe Sport Grounds. On further investigation, the team of investigators managed to arrest the suspect as well as recover the alleged stolen diesel bowser in the bushes near R42 Road, which is not far from the said mine.”
He said preliminary investigation suggests that the suspects were probably busy draining the diesel into some plastic diesel containers when one of them was caught.
The others evaded the arrest and were still at large, a vehicle that they allegedly used, a Toyota Corolla, was seized with diesel cans full of diesel.
“The vehicle was confiscated as it was allegedly used in the commission of crime. The suspect is expected to appear before the Delmas District Court on Friday, 8 April, 2022, facing charges of being in possession of suspected stolen properties and more charges could be added against the suspect in relation to the business robbery,” Mohlala said.
IOL