South African police arrest suspect in casino winnings robbery
The victims were returning to their residence after a casino visit when two armed suspects allegedly confronted them.
Key takeaways:
- South African police have arrested 29-year-old Siphosethu Ndovela in connection with an armed robbery in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, in which three people were allegedly robbed of casino winnings.
- The robbery took place on the night of August 21 after three people left an unnamed casino near Umdloti, north of Durban, following one man cashing out an undisclosed amount of money.
- Two armed suspects allegedly confronted the group at their residence on Bartlett Road in Pinetown and took the money and a woman’s handbag.
- Flying Squad officers on routine patrol came under fire when they drove past the suspects’ alleged getaway vehicle; police said the officers took cover and escaped injury.
- Ndovela appeared before the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on October 21 and was remanded in custody, while police said a second identified suspect remains at large.
South Africa.- South African police have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with an armed robbery in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, that allegedly saw three people robbed of their casino winnings. Siphosethu Ndovela was apprehended on October 19 following an investigation by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a recent statement.
The robbery took place on the night of August 21 after a 50-year-old man, his 59-year-old wife and their 58-year-old friend left an unnamed casino near Umdloti, north of Durban. The man had cashed out an undisclosed amount of money before the group departed at about 11pm in a BMW X3 and a Ford Ranger. When they reached their residence on Bartlett Road in Pinetown, two armed suspects allegedly confronted them and took the money and the woman’s handbag.
The robbery coincided with a routine patrol by Flying Squad officers, who came under fire when they drove past the suspects’ alleged getaway vehicle. The officers took cover and escaped injury, while the suspects fled, according to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
Investigators identified a white Toyota Yaris fitted with false registration plates as the vehicle used to leave the crime scene. Further enquiries also linked a white Volkswagen Polo to the alleged robbery. Police identified Ndovela as the Polo’s owner before arresting him on October 19. The police statement did not disclose the amount allegedly stolen or specify whether any of the money or other property had been recovered.
Ndovela appeared before the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on October 21 and was remanded in custody. He was scheduled to return to court on October 27 for a formal bail application. Police said a second suspect, already identified by investigators, remains at large.
