Durban — Police arrested a suspect and recovered money stolen from a Post Office earlier this month in Lamontville, south of Durban.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said that the money was recovered during a joint operation earlier in the week.
Gwala said that the operation was conducted at 1am on November 8, 2022, by Lamontville detectives, the Tongaat task team, and the SAPS’s crime intelligence unit and “led to the arrest of a 22-year-old suspect wanted for defeating the ends of justice, possession of stolen money and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition”.
“The suspect was wanted in connection with a robbery. The stolen money was reportedly hidden in the bushes by the suspects on November 3, 2022. Three armed men entered a Post Office in Lamontville, stole two bags containing cash, and fled the scene,” Gwala said.
She said a group of senior citizens gathered and chased the suspects and managed to apprehend two men. Unfortunately, the suspect who was carrying the cash had a firearm and managed to flee the scene into the bushes.
“It is alleged that four members of the community saw the robbery suspect hiding the stolen money and firearms in the bushes. They took the money and divided it among themselves,” Gwala said.
She said that police received information that one of the suspects was hiding in the oThongathi area and proceeded to his new place of residence.
“On arrival, they searched his premises and found cash of R30 000. The suspect also took the police to an abandoned house in the Lamontville area where the team recovered unlicensed firearms including an AK47 assault rifle, 9mm pistol and 47 rounds of ammunition. Police are searching for the remaining suspects who are still at large,” Gwala said.
She said the suspect appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday, and the case was postponed.
Daily News