A police constable is allegedly linked to a Cash in Transit Heist
MPUMALANGA –A police Constable Zacharia Makgaolane Magopa (38) was remanded in custody when he appeared at the Vaalbank Magistrate Court on Thursday 04 February 2021.
He was arrested on Tuesday during the Crime intelligence-driven operation conducted by members of the Hawks in Mpumalanga and CIT tracking team attached to the Hawks Head Office as well as Kwamhlanga’s Crime Intelligence.
Two of his alleged co-accused were taken in for questioning and were later released.
Magopa was allegedly linked to a cash in transit incident which happened in the early hours of the morning on Monday, 01 February 2021. Three security guards were transporting an undisclosed amount of money to several ATMs around Moutse West. The security guards were accosted by unknown suspects driving in an Audi Q3 and a Mercedes Benz. Several shots were fired at the armed vehicle causing it to come to standstill.
The security guards were disarmed and explosives were used to gain access to the money bags and the suspects fled scene with an undisclosed amount of cash in several vehicles. Three vehicles which include a Mercedes Benz, Q3 and A4 Audi were later found abondoned in different locations near Vaalbank.
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It was later established through further investigation that the Mercedes Benz vehicle was stolen as per Jeppe case in February 2020. The A4 was stolen in Yeoville in December 2020 and the Q3 was reported as stolen in Sebenza in October 2020. A charcoal Kia Rio was also found abandoned which is also reported stolen in Secunda in July 2020.
Further Investigation by the Hawks led team to recover R30 000.00 from a sangoma (witch doctor) which was used as payment to perform some rituals for their protection to evade arrest.
The case against Magopa was postponed to the 11 February 2021 for a formal bail application.
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