JOHANNESBURG, March 14 (ANA) – Two people appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, and two other people, including a police officer, are being questioned in connection with the armed robbery at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, acting national police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane said.
“Within a week of investigations and interviewing of people of interest pertaining to this case, we can confirm that four people have been taken in for questioning of which two appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court today in connection with this heist,” he said in a statement.
“Two people are currently being questioned. It is regrettable that one of our own members is among the two. This confirms our version of not ruling out the possibility of a collusion and/or an inside job.”
On March 7, a gang stole an undisclosed amount of money at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. At the time, the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) said that security at the airport was increased and security guards were replaced where an armed robbery took place.
“Management of Airports Company South Africa is deeply concerned by this robbery and the manner in which it took place. We are working closely with law enforcement agencies to support both the investigation of this robbery and to establish what further measures will be taken,” Acsa said at the time.
Acsa said that a bakkie with “what appeared to be police markings” on it pulled up at a restricted access gate, North Gate 1, at around 7.23pm, on March 7. The bakkie was followed by a white Ford Focus, both cars had their sirens and blue lights activated.
“The vehicles were occupied by several armed men, some of whom were in South African Police Service (SAPS) uniforms. When requested to validate their credentials, the men produced firearms, rounded up security staff in the security checkpoint and ordered them to lie on the floor,” Acsa said at the time.
“The robbers proceeded to gain access to the air-side of the airport where they removed an undisclosed amount of money from a sealed container. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported. The bakkie and the Ford Focus then exited through the same point of entry at 7.45pm.”
The two cars were later recovered in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria.
On Tuesday, Phahlane said that the significant breakthrough in the highly organised heist was as a reult of the multidisciplinary team of the police and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the relevant stakeholders.
“Our people and the nation were justified in the outcry and the condemnation of the security breaches which manifested themselves at OR Tambo International Airport, a national key point. We have resolved as law enforcement agencies to work hard in ensuring that the perpetrators of this crime are brought to book,” he said.
He said that more arrests were likely to be made.
– African News Agency (ANA)
