Six suspected armed robbers linked to a daring, daylight robbery of a cash van on Saturday, 25 May, outside Bloemfontein’s Lemo Mall are remanded in custody. The suspects are: Lebohang Shale (43), Louw Lynweth (42),
Refiloe Mokhothu (39), Zacharia Kwili (58), Monyaki Hans (37) and Tieho Bernard Makobane (44).
Their hearing for bail applications is set to be heard in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and Friday, 6 and 7 June. They reappeared on Monday, 3 June.
Col. Zweli Mohobeleli, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, confirmed that the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team arrested a sixth suspect, Makobane after five were arrested hours following the heist. He said charges include robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, malicious damage to property, possession of a suspected hijacked vehicle, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, unlawful possession of explosives, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Mohobeleli said the arrest was a result of a tracing operation by a multidisciplinary team comprising the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team, the police’s Tactical Response Team (TRT), Anti-Gang unit, Crime Intelligence, Visible Policing, K9, and Explosives unit.
The suspects reportedly rammed into the cash delivery vehicle with a BMW car, disarmed the security guards, and thereafter used explosives to blow up the cash van before fleeing the scene in a white Toyota Hilux and a sedan. “An undisclosed amount of cash and two firearms were taken,” said Mohobeleli.
The police’s intensive investigation culminated with the arrest, discovery of some deadly weapons, an AK-47 rifle and a pistol, with 30 rounds of ammunition, destructive devices, and steel-bladed cutters as well as a police bunny jacket.
