- A police officer has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a spate of Volksrust business robberies.
- He joins six people who were arrested previously.
- Three of the six are on the run after escaping from custody.
A police officer was arrested for alleged involvement in a spate of armed robberies that targeted businesses in Volksrust, Mpumalanga, according to police.
The arrest comes after Volksrust "abruptly experienced an uptrend of business robberies", said police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.
The last incident was on 10 April 2021.
"A group of armed suspects violently stormed a certain clothing shop and held the staff hostage at gunpoint. They then instructed victims to stay in the storeroom whilst they helped themselves [to] various items, including cellphones and some clothing items to [the] estimated value of about R150 000," Hlathi said.
A manhunt was launched after the robbery and six people were arrested. The cop, who was only arrested on Monday, is the seventh.
On 19 April, four of the seven allegedly escaped from custody at the Volksrust Magistrate's Court. One of them, Welcome Mncube, 56, has since been rearrested but the other three – Jima Dube, 34; Sandile Gasa, 42; and Emmanuel Sibanda, 28 – are still on the run.
An internal investigation against the cop is under way to determine his fitness to be in the police force.
Members of the community are urged to contact Volksrust police with any information on the whereabouts of the three escapees. They can call (017) 735 9913 or contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.