An intensive search operation involving PE K9 Unit, Tactical Response Unit, SAPS Airwing Helicopter and various SAPS units of Port Elizabeth, Kinkelbos, Paterson and Alexandria, as well as farmers and farm workers paid off when three suspected house robbers were found and arrested deep in bushes on Stoney Croft Farm in the Kinkelbos area.
Police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said this followed after two house robberies took place in the Bathurst and Alexandria areas on 5 and 6 April 2018.
“In the first robbery, a 76 year old woman was robbed of her red Nissan 1400 bakkie, cash, flatscreen TV and household goods on Thursday 5 April at 11.30am,” Govender said. “She was tied up with shoelaces and found the next day by a relative some time after midday.”
Later that day at 9.45pm, another house robbery took place on Perdevlei Farm, suspected to be by the same robbers using the Red Nissan bakkie. The person was stabbed with a knife before the robbers left with a flatscreen TV.
At 10.30pm, SAPS responding to the robbery noticed the red Nissan bakkie on the R72 and a chase ensued. The bakkie stopped and the three suspects fled into dense bush. Because it was dark, the search was hindered.
At 10am Saturday morning, an intensive search resumed and by 1.30pm, three suspects were arrested deep in dense bushes on Stoney Croft Farm.
The suspects aged 48, 34 and 24 will face charges of house robbery, assault with intent to cause serious bodily injuries as well as the robbery of the motor vehicle. They will be appearing in the respective Magistrates’courts of Alexandria and Port Alfred from today.
The Motherwell Cluster Commander, Major General Dawie Rabie expressed his appreciation to all the various SAPS units that took part in the operation, and added “We wish to give a special thanks to the farmers and farm workers that assisted the police in this search. These partnerships proved successful today.”
