Police arrest gang of thugs possibly connected to violent house robberies
A round-the-clock investigation by the Boksburg police has led to the arrests of a what is believed to be a gang of violent thugs who have been terrorising residents of local suburbs, including Sunward Park, Freeway Park and others.
The investigating officers, Sgt Calvin Mphaphuli and Det Const Booysen, arrested three of the four armed robbery suspects in Vosloorus on Tuesday, August 15, and the fourth suspect in Soweto on the same day.
Some of the arrestees are ex-convicts and one of them is out on parole.
According to Boksburg SAPS spokesperson Sgt Cebisa Maseko, the arrest of the three men in Vosloorus led to the recovery of some of the goods believed to have been stolen in the trail of house robberies through Boksburg suburbs. They were found hidden in a residential house in Vosloorus.
Police found the fourth man, who was arrested in Soweto, in possession of a cellphone stolen during the latest violent house robbery in Freeway Park.
Are these your belongings stolen during a house robbery? Boksburg police invite you to come and view, identify, and claim these stolen goods.The recovered goods, all believed to be stolen during the robberies, included a 42-inch TV set, clothing, bags containing braai accessories and utensils, a Bible case, two Nokia cellphones and one Muso one, a brown handbag, brown hat, jewellery, including necklaces with crosses and rings, two pairs of shoes, a red carrybag containing a racquet bag, bra, hot-air brushes, USB cable and a charger. Boksburg police invite the public to come and view, identify, and claim their stolen property.
In the latest attack, the four men, all carrying firearms, allegedly entered a residential house in Freeway Park and held the family, an elderly woman and her son, at gunpoint.
“They assaulted the victims and tied them up with a tie, while demanding money and the car keys. Two of the gunmen stood guard over the victims, while the others ransacked the house. They loaded their loot into the victim’s car and drove away in it,” said Maseko.
The stolen items included a microwave, cellphone and clothing, food from the fridge, toiletries and other items. The family’s two dogs were also poisoned. The car was later discovered abandoned next to a taxi rank in Vosloorus.
The two detectives believe that the perpetrators of the Freeway Park house robbery are the ‘serial robbers’ on whose trail they have been after a recent string of house robberies and a hijacking in Boksburg. Some of the Freeway Park family’s belongings, including a cellphone and jackets, were among the goods found in the four suspects’ possession. These items were returned to the rightful owners.
All carrying guns, the same gang reportedly forced their way into a residential property in Mustang Road, in Sunward Park, where they held the homeowners, a woman and her husband, at gunpoint, just after 7am on August 4.
After demanding the keys to the safe, they allegedly stole two firearms and jewellery, including rings and one of the robbers fired a shot which injured the husband.
The couple was also tied up during the invasion. The robbers subsequently escaped the scene with the loot and proceeded to a nearby street, Sonskyn Road, where they allegedly hijacked a white Mercedes-Benz.
The owner of the vehicle told the police that he was in the car listening to music when he was accosted by three armed men. They smashed one of the car windows with a firearm. The motorist was then forced to jump out of his car and the suspects drove away in it.
Their modus operandi during the robberies is said to include entering the targeted homes in the early hours of the day, and hiding on the property waiting for the occupants to exit the house. When the unsuspecting victims exit the house, the robbers pounce on them.
They allegedly threaten the victim with guns and steal electrical appliances, clothing, jewellery, cellphones, groceries and money which they then load into the victim’s vehicle before fleeing in it.
The robbers also reportedly poison dogs on the targeted properties.
The men, aged between 32 and 38, are facing a hijacking charge and about ten counts of house robbery.
Maseko applauded the members for their dedication in finding the suspects. She described the arrest as a major breakthrough that will help them to solve the spate of house robberies in Boksburg.
Detectives are now working to remove the guns used to commit all the robberies from the streets.
The suspects appeared in court on Thursday (August 17) and they were remanded in custody. They will appear again on Monday (August 21) for formal bail application. @FanieFLK
