Eastern Cape police have confirmed that they had re-arrested all four St Albans Prison inmates, who escaped while in transit in the Gelvandale Area.
A task team, established to hunt down the escapees, successfully apprehended all four of them during the night.
The suspects escaped through the roof of a courts' truck that was en route to St Albans around 20 past two on Wednesday afternoon.
Warrant Officer Alwyn Labans says Justin Bramwell, Ettienne Andrews, Marco Tiervlei and William Kleinbooi were all sentenced robbery suspects, who had been involved in robberies in the Mount Road and Bethelsdorp areas.
The first suspect Etienne Andrews was arrested 20:40 in Salt Lake, Harrington street. Labans says members were doing a foot patrol after information was received from an informer that he was moving between Barend Street and Harrington Street. He was arrested while trying to leave the area. He had a bag full of clothes and toiletries with him. Andrews was initially arrested for domestic violence and robbery.
The second suspect, William Kleinbooi, who was initially arrested for the possession of drugs, made contact with his sister who helped him to get onto a taxi to town where he was going to hide. The sister took police to several spots in Central where her brother could have been, but he was not at any of these places.
Police then focused their attention on Marco Tiervlei and his brother Justin Bramwell, who were initially arrested for armed robbery and the illegal possession of a firearm. They went to their homes, all known drug spots and taverns, but without success.
Labans says they knew the suspects would remain in the area due to the fact that they cannot move between 'drug territories'.
Police decided to leave the area, only leaving those on foot, in the hope that the suspects would come out of hiding. Within 30 minutes they started moving. Members on the ground started following them which resulted in a foot chase.
Police vehicles were brought back in and Tiervlei was cornered and arrested shortly before midnight in the back of someone's yard in Greenfields, where he was hiding in the bushes.
Fifteen minutes later his brother Justin Bramwell was arrested inside a house in Greenfields.
The Task Team then went back to the sister of William Kleinbooi who took them to two addresses in central. He was eventually arrested at a house in Hope Street, shortly after midnight.
Detective commander Colonel Scholtz praised all members involved and said it was a team effort.
He said he felt extremely proud to be a member of the South African Police, especially if you see how different units and stations work together.
The Task team consisted of:
Col. D Scholtz (Bethelsdorp SAPS)
Col P Oranje(Gelvandale SAPS)
Capt. Booysen(Gelvandale SAPS)
WO Minnie(Bethelsdorp SAPS)
WO Thyse (Bethelsdorp SAPS)
WO Metlerkamp(Gelvandale SAPS)
Sgt Killian (VGIT)
Sgt Smit (Bethelsdorp SAPS)
Sgt Mlinga (Gelvandale SAPS)
Cst Davids(Gelvandale SAPS)
Cst Mutsie(Bethelsdorp SAPS)
Cst Januarie (Bethelsdorp SAPS)
Cst Jordaan (Bethelsdorp SAPS)
Cst Africa (VGIT)
Cst Gould (Bethelsdorp SAPS)
Cst Tarrentaal (Bethelsdorp SAPS)
Cst Arendt(Gelvandale SAPS)
