Four men were arrested on January 5, at the Transnet Driehoek warehouse, in Germiston, after they were caught red-handed, stealing two 500m spools of copper cable, at about 10.30pm.<\/p>\n
The Germiston SAPS members, under the command of Capt Jonathan Ngwenya, received information that a group of men were planning to rob the business.<\/p>
Ngwenya, from the Germiston SAPS Detective Service, arranged different role players to help the police in the operation; these included the EMPD Germiston Crime Prevention Unit and the SAPS Airwing.<\/p>\n
All the law enforcement personnel waited for the suspects and only after they had overpowered the security guards and were busy loading the copper cables onto a truck did the officers enter the premises and bust them.<\/p>
Four men, aged 36, 32, 23 and 45, were arrested.<\/p>\n
The police found the security guards tied up and locked in a toilet cubicle.<\/p>\n
Two firearms, a 9mm pistol and a pump-gun, as well as a toy gun, were found on the scene.<\/p>\n
It is believed the toy gun was used to hold up the security guards.<\/p>\n
The firearms belonged to the security company.<\/p>\n
A blue Mercedes Benz truck was also confiscated.<\/p>\n
The value of each 500m roll of copper cable is estimated at R170 000.<\/p>\n
One of the security officers at the business was among the men arrested, for allegedly being the mastermind behind the robbery plan.<\/p>\n
The four men are facing charges of armed robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, as well as malicious damage to property.<\/p>\n
WO Andr\u00e9 de Jager, spokesman for the Germiston SAPS, said: “The management of the Germiston SAPS congratulates Capt Ngwenya and all the members and EMPD officers for the successful operation and good arrests.”<\/p>\n