By Kaya 959 Reporter
Two men have been arrested in connection with a string of armed robberies across Gauteng. The arrest comes following an operation between the Hawks, Gauteng police, and private security companies.
Police nabbed the men, aged 33 and 46, in Lombardy East. They will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court soon.
Officers received information about armed men using an Audi during hijackings for home invasions in various Gauteng suburbs.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale says several units, including the Hawks’ Tactical Operational Management Section, proceeded to the scene.
The team spotted the suspects in Lombardy East.
Mogale says the police intercepted them when they entered residential premises and were immediately apprehended.
“Three firearms, housebreaking implements, gloves, balaclavas and a stolen television set, as well as cellphones, were found inside the vehicle. The Audi had false registration plates and was robbed in Bramley earlier this year,” says Mogale.
She adds that police also found a Kia Picanto on the same premises. The vehicle, which had false registration plates, was stolen from its owner in Linden in June.
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Suspects linked to other Gauteng robberies
Police say a preliminary investigation has linked the suspects to a number of hijackings and armed robberies.
“The stolen items, including a television set, were positively identified by the owner where the suspects had allegedly accosted and robbed them in Honeydew. The investigation to link the suspects to other robberies is continuing and we are not ruling out the possibility of arresting more suspects,” says Mogale.
Police have arrested several suspects in the last month thanks to an ongoing partnership between police and private security teams.
Last week, officers nabbed three men in an intelligence-driven operation on Hendrik Potgieter Road near Muldersdrift.
Mogale says preliminary investigations revealed that the men have been preying on residents in Gauteng, the Free State, North West, and other provinces.
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