A TIP-OFF has led to the arrest of a suspect who is believed to be part of a gang responsible for robberies on hiking trails.
The 26-year-old suspect was arrested on Thursday, 16 November at 4pm in Tzaneen, Limpopo following a joint operation by multidisciplinary police teams.
The suspect was travelling in a rented vehicle near Nkowankowa outside Tzaneen.
Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said when he realised cops were on his tail, he sped off and police pursued him until he was arrested in the Tzaneen town.
"When he was arrested, he was found in possession of several stolen bank cards and identity documents. Preliminary investigations linked the suspect to an armed robbery committed in July 2023 in a hiking area in Tzaneen," he said.
ALSO READ: Witchcraft murder sparks fury
Mojapelo said investigations were still ongoing and police couldn't rule out the possibility of the suspect being linked to other robberies.
"The suspect will appear before the Tzaneen Magistrates Court on Monday, 20 November, to answer charges of armed robbery," he said.
The incident came after the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, recently warned residents against hitchhiking vehicles they don't recognise.
Hadebe commended the well-coordinated operation that led to the arrest.
"We believe that the arrest of the suspect will help solve some of the robberies in which the police are looking for suspects. We thank our communities for their continued support by providing us with the information we need. It is clear that we are winning the fight against crime," Hadebe said.
