Police battle with cash robbers moves to the Cape with yet another arrest

Police have arrested yet another cash in transit heist robbery suspect - this time in the fairest Cape.

Known as Mahuta, Zain Sebata is linked to at least six cases ranging from bank robbery, house robbery, escaping from lawful custody, and possession of stolen property.

This arrest brings to six the number of kingpins that the Hawks have taken down since the project began ten days ago. The target was to nab the top ten in 14 (fourteen) days. This leaves the unit with four days to bring to book the four outstanding suspects.

The national police commissioner Bheki Cele has commended the SAPS Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations unit for keeping up the pressure on these robbers.

"We have said over and over again. There is no place to hide for criminals and we are proving it yet again. My advice to other cash-in-transit robbers who know that they have outstanding warrant would be to give themselves up. That would be easier. But either way, we will arrest them and throw the full might of the law on them," said Cele.

The crack team has now arrested six people in a targeted operation that is flushing out criminals who have been trying to escape the long arm of the law by failing to honour their arrest warrants.

Others like Mahuta and Jefthros Malombo Mthembu have been wanted for having escaped from lawful custody over and above being involved in other heinous crimes including murder.

Mahuta, who was born in 1983, has three outstanding warrants. He will appear before the Athlone court tomorrow (Thursday).

Statement issued by Musa Zondi, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (HAWKS), South African Police Service, January 27 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter