Acting on a tip-off, the Winburg police managed to foil a planned burglary, which involved foreign nationals, at a clothing chain store.
The station commander of Winburg, Capt. Niniveh Landman, received a tip-off from residents that there was a burglary planned for 10 November at midnight, during loadshedding.
“They received information that there would be two white Volkswagen (VW) Polo’s with no registration numbers, and that the suspects would be armed with handguns,” says Capt. Stephen Thakeng, media liaison officer for the Lejweleputswa police.
Landman mobilized all police members who had taken rest days and a strategy was formulated, says Thakeng.
A waylay was conducted at the clothing store, and a white Polo was seen passing the Winburg police station very slowly.
“The suspects managed to cut open the roof of the clothing shop, then police members pounced on them.
The suspects started to run in different directions, shooting at police members who returned fire.
No-one sustained gunshot wounds during the shoot-out, says Thakeng.
Two suspects were caught red-handed in the shop with miscellaneous burglary tools in their possession. A white VW Polo was spotted near the crime scene, and the police discovered that the driver had with him a big hammer, bolt cutter and grinding machine.
The suspects, aged 25, 29 and 36 years old, are from Botshabelo. They were arrested for burglary business and possession of house breaking implements. The suspects will appear in the Winburg Magistrate’s Court.
The district commissioner of Lejweleputswa, Maj. Gen. Lerato Molale, applauds the residents of Winburg for trusting the police with this sensitive information which led to these arrests.
“Thank you to the station commander and his team members who were mobilized while on rest days and who ensured that there were more boots on the ground to enhance police visibility,” said Molale.
