Ice cream factory heist: Robbers from Mamelodi arrested in Limpopo while celebrating
Limpopo police have arrested seven suspects, including a woman believed to have harboured them, following a daring armed robbery at an ice cream factory in the Polokwane CBD on Monday morning.
According to police, the incident took place around 9 am when armed men stormed into the factory, threatened staff, and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, cellphones, and other valuables.
Within an hour of the robbery, an intelligence-driven operation led police to a safe house in the Zorra section of Solomondale, near Mankweng, where the suspects were found allegedly celebrating and consuming alcohol.
A multidisciplinary team — including the Provincial Tracking Team, Provincial Investigation Unit, Capricorn district detectives, Mankweng Task Team, Sebayeng Crime Prevention, and private security partners — moved in swiftly.
“One suspect opened fire on police and managed to flee,” said provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
“Six male suspects, aged between 28 and 52, all from Mamelodi in Gauteng, and a 34-year-old woman who owns the house, were arrested on the spot.”
Police recovered four firearms with live ammunition, stolen goods, and a white Audi S3 allegedly used during the robbery.
Preliminary investigations have linked the suspects to other business robberies in Limpopo, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga. They face charges of business robbery, possession of illegal firearms and ammunition, and possession of stolen goods, and are expected to appear before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Limpopo’s acting provincial police commissioner, Major General Jan Scheepers, praised the rapid response of the joint operational team.
“The swift tracking and arrest of these suspects demonstrate the SAPS’s unwavering commitment to dismantling organised criminal groups,” said Scheepers.
“We call upon the public to report suspicious behaviours to law enforcement authorities and isolate all those who team up with thugs from other provinces. Limpopo will never be a playground for criminals — we will guard it with the jealousy it deserves.”
Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect who fled the scene during the raid.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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