An intensive search operation involving members of PE K9 Unit, Tactical Response Unit, SAPS Airwing 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.
This followed after two house robberies took place in the Bathurst and Alexandria areas on 5 and 6 April 2018. At the first robbery, a 76-year-old female was robbed of her red Nissan 1400 bakkie, cash, flatscreen TV and household goods on Thursday 5 April at 11:30. She was tied up with shoe laces and found the next day by a relative at 12:30.
Later that same day at 21:45, another house robbery took place on Perdevlei Farm, suspected by the same suspects using the red Nissan bakkie. The complainant was stabbed with a knife before the suspects fled the scene with a flatscreen tv. At 22:30, SAPS members responded to the robbery and noticed the red Nissan bakkie on the R72 and a chase ensued. The bakkie stopped and the three suspects fled into the bushes. Due to darkness the search was hindered in the dense bushes.
At 10:00 this morning, a massive search continued and by 13:30, the 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 Monday 9 April 2018.
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.”