2 Suspected Airport ‘Follow-Home Robbers’ Arrested, 1 Killed in Joburg

Police have arrested two suspects, who have been allegedly targeting commuters travelling from OR Tambo International Airport.

The suspects were arrested on Monday on the N3 highway in Johannesburg by police who were acting on intelligence.

“The team followed up on the intelligence and spotted the Mercedes travelling from the airport. Attempts to have the suspects’ vehicle stopped led to a shootout on the N3 near the Marlborough off-ramp in Johannesburg.

“One male suspect was shot dead and two men were arrested. The police also recovered two unlicensed firearms. The Mercedes ML, which the suspects were using, was reported hijacked in the Norwood area in October this year,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo on Monday.

The recovered firearms will be analysed by forensic experts to determine if they were used in other crimes.

The suspects will appear either in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court or Alexander Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The suspects will face charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, armed robbery and murder.

Naidoo said it is also possible that these suspects could be linked to at least five other airport follow-home robberies.

“This is a significant breakthrough in our efforts to combat crimes in and around the OR Tambo International Airport, especially the crimes where people are being followed home from the airport and being robbed,” said Naidoo. – SAnews.gov.za

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Watch Carte Blanche’s in-depth investigation into the ‘follow home’ robberies – subscribe to Showmax (for expats too).