Police ‘break the back’ of CIT robbery syndicate after latest arrest

Police have arrested 11 of South Africa’s most wanted criminals over the last month and a half, with all of the suspects connected to a spate of Cash-In-Transit (CIT) robberies. 

National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Khehla Sitole, said that these interventions have helped “break the back” of the syndicate behind the attacks. 

Suspect wanted for 30 pending cases shot dead 

The latest arrests came on Friday 29 May, when police raided a house in Diepsloot, Gauteng and met with a flurry of bullets. A shootout ensued and the suspect, who had been wanted for over two months, was shot dead. 

“The team was hot on the heels of a 29-year-old suspect for the past two months, after they had managed to apprehend ten of his accomplices between April and May in the northern parts of Tshwane,” said national police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo. 

“Upon arrival at the identified address in Diepsloot, the team was met with gunfire from the suspect where after a shoot-out ensued between the suspect and members. The suspect was shot and he later succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead at the scene.”

He said that the suspect who was shot dead was wanted on a host of charges. 

“The deceased suspect, Thabo Maleka had approximately 30 pending cases between Limpopo and Gauteng and an additional 10 pending cases linked to business robberies in the northern suburbs and townships of Tshwane which include Mabopane, Soshanguve, Garankuwa, Winterveld and Akasia.” 

“He was also wanted in connection for the attempted murder of a group of police officers during a shoot-out with members of the SAPS earlier this year.”

This latest intervention brought the total number of suspects relating to the syndicate in police custody to eight, with an arsenal of weapons and vehicles confiscated. 

“Three suspects have been shot and killed in a shoot-out with members with eight suspects currently in police custody. A twelfth suspect whose identity is known to the task team is still at large and the investigation is still at a very sensitive and complex stage, therefore possibility of further arrests cannot be excluded.”

“It is worth noting that, since the establishment of the task team on 3 February 2020, a total of thirty-one suspects have been arrested with a total of twenty-nine rifles and pistols recovered, as well as 7 hijacked motor vehicles and several explosives have been recovered.”

Lockdown no obstacle for crime fighting 

The eleven wanted suspects who have been apprehended or killed in shootouts with the police were engaged from 11 April to 29 May 2020. Three suspects were killed during the raids and another eight have been put into police custody. 

Sithole said that the cooperative effort between Crime Intelligence, Forensic Services Laboratories (FSL), The Hawks, Detective Services and the Tactical Response Teams (TRT) have been incredibly productive and have helped cripple the syndicate.

“This is a good example of the successes that can be achieved when the various components and disciplines within the SAPS work as an integrated team to fight CIT’s and aggravated robberies crime in the country,” he said. 

“What is worth noting is that most of these arrests were effected during the lockdown period which simply means that team members did not allow themselves to be deterred from executing their duties. This team and many other men and women in blue ought to be commended for their perseverance in making South Africa a safer and better place,” said Sitole.