Two of five armed robbers who stormed into a church service in Klipfontein, eMalahleni (formerly Witbank), on Wednesday evening have been arrested on charges of robbery and kidnapping.
Nine church members, including the pastor and church elders, were held at gunpoint shortly before 7pm and ordered to lie down, Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Donald Mdhluli said.
They were searched by the suspects and bound with cable ties before being robbed of their cellphones, wallets containing bank cards, laptops and a computer screen belonging to the church.
The suspects demanded their car keys and their pin codes for the cellphones they took.
“The victims were forced into three vehicles belonging to them. The suspects drove to a remote area in the bush where two of them remained to guard the victims while the others went away, only to return later and collect their two accomplices,” Mdhluli said.
“The family members of the victims reported the incident to the authorities. A collaborative effort between police and Tracker Connect led to the vehicles being traced — one near Vosman and the other in Silverton, Gauteng.
“The victims were traced to a bushy area in Kromdraai. One individual sustained minor injuries and was given medical treatment by medical personnel.”
Three vehicles were recovered:
- a Mercedes-Benz found in Vosman in the possession of a 21-year-old suspect;
- a VW Polo abandoned in Vosman; and
- an Isuzu KB bakkie, which was traced and recovered in Silverton where a 27-year-old male suspect was arrested.
The two suspects are expected to appear in court soon.
TimesLIVE
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