- The police arrested three suspects linked to an armed robbery syndicate in Pretoria East on Monday following a shootout.
- According to the police, the syndicate lured victims through Facebook's Marketplace by pretending to be interested in purchasing items advertised on it.
- They also freed two hostages allegedly held by the suspects.
Three suspects allegedly linked to an armed robbery syndicate in Pretoria East which lures victims through Facebook's Marketplace, were arrested by the police on Monday for allegedly holding two people hostage.
According to the police, the group is known as the Zoey gang because one of the suspects allegedly used that name on their Facebook profile.
Police spokesperson Captain Dave Miller said the gang's modus operandi entailed luring victims through the social media platform by offering to purchase items that have been advertised on it.
The suspects allegedly rent an Airbnb and stage it as a family home, complete with children's clothing and toys.
"When the victim arrives and enters the property, they are met by a female who takes them inside, only to be met by her two male accomplices who are armed," Miller added.
"We are currently aware of at least six cases that they can be linked to and will most certainly be adding quite a few more."
Hostages and arrests
The police received information about the whereabouts of the suspects at around 16:30 on Monday.
Officers from Lyttleton and Brooklyn police stations as well as the Flying Squad then formalised and executed a tactical plan, Miller said.
Before their arrest, there was an exchange of gunfire between the police and suspects.
"During this process, the members discovered that there were two members of the public that were being held hostage and were tied up in the house.
"Fortunately, none of the victims or the police members were injured during the operation.
"Police recovered an unlicenced firearm with three magazines full of ammunition, two knives, and stolen property," Miller added.
The suspects are expected to appear in court soon and face charges of, kidnapping, armed robbery, possession of an unlicenced firearm and ammunition, possession of dangerous weapons, possession of suspected stolen property, and pointing of a firearm.
"The management of the South African Police Service would like to thank the members who were involved who took the initiative and put their lives in harm's way to ensure that the community will no longer be terrorised by these criminals," he said.