Kuruman Visible policing, John Taolo Gaetsewe Trio-Crime Task Team, Tactical Response Team (TRT), Kuruman High Way Patrol, Kuruman Public Order Police and K9 Unit have arrested three suspects, in connection with house robbery, on a farm near Kuruman. The suspects were arrested yesterday following an intelligence driven operation. Firearms including a cutting torch, a fridge, groceries which were stolen from a farm during a house robbery, were recovered during the arrest of the suspects. The suspects led the police into the veld in Cardington, outside Mothibistad, where some of the firearms were buried in the ground, while other items were found hidden in the house of the suspects.
It is alleged that the trio stormed on the farm in the early hours of Tuesday, 25 September 2018 wearing balaclavas, armed with firearms. At gun-point they tied-up the employees with ropes and forced them to drink their employer’s alcohol in order to get intoxicated.
In the process they forced opened the safe, stole five hunting rifles, ammunition, tool boxes, a double door fridge, grinders, drill machines, a compressor and liquor. All these stolen items were loaded on the farm bakkie which they also made away with.
However the bakkie was later found overturned on the road leading to Bothithong village, just outside Kuruman. They left the bakkie on the scene after it overturned after which they collected the items and fled the scene.
Police launched a search and worked around the clock until they arrested the suspects. The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Peter Risimati Shivuri commended all members from the various units in the SAPS for working as a team to ensure that the perpetrators were arrested.
“Every criminal must feel the heat of the law, for the crimes they commit and we will close down on them to protect the citizens including their property as per our policing mandate” he said.
Among the firearms recovered, we retrieved one of the firearms used in the commission of the crime. And our preliminary investigation indicated that the firearm used in the commission of the crime was reported stolen somewhere in Danielskuil.
The suspects will appear before the Kuruman Magistrate’s Court soon, on charges of house robbery and illegal possession of firearms.