PORT ELIZABETH - SWIFT POLICE ACTION LEADS TO ARREST OF NEWTON PARK ARMED ROBBERS WITHIN 2 HOURS

Quick thinking police officials in Port Elizabeth arrested 3 suspects and recovered 2 firearms within 2 hours after an alleged armed robbery which took place in Newton Park yesterday afternoon, 13 May 2019

It is alleged that on Monday, 13 May 2019 at about 13:00 , a security guard was standing at his post outside the premises of his company when he was approached by three unknown men. All three men were armed and he was stripped of his 9mm firearm with ammunition. The men then ran off and it is suspected that they got into a Toyota Quantum vehicle and drove off. On further investigation, a registration number was taken down by an alert community person. The registration number was followed up and traced to a taxi owner in New Brighton who confirmed that the Quantum is used as a taxi. Efforts to contact the driver proved futile.

The Cash-in-Transit and Hijacking Task Team members together with Mount Road Crime Prevention members travelled the route of the taxis in an attempt to spot it. Their intuition paid off when the taxi was spotted in Grahamstown Road in Deal Party. The taxi driver and his conductor were questioned and further information led the police to a house in Mboyambo Street New Brighton. The three suspects were exiting the house and when they saw the police, one ran back inside. All three were apprehended. On searching the house, the 9mm pistol belonging to the security guard as well as another Taurus 9mm pistol was also recovered.

The Taurus firearm was reported stolen from an Atlas security guard in Korsten on 02 May 2019. The guard was allegedly robbed by two armed men.

The 3 suspects aged between 21-27 years old were detained on charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and are detained at SAPS Brighton. The taxi driver and the conductor, aged 21 and 36 were detained on a charge of armed robbery. Detectives are investigating the possible link of the 3 suspects to the Newton Park robbery. All suspects are expected to appear in court soon.

Mount Road Cluster Commander, Maj Gen Thembisile Patekile commended all those members involved in the arrests and subsequent follow up on the information. ”It is important for police officers to thoroughly know their policing areas as in this case members knew exactly where to look for the suspects. They were arrested within 2 hours after the commission of the crime,” added Maj Gen Patekile.

VIA - SAPS