A 32-year-old emergency medical services staffer has been arrested in connection with the cash-in-transit heist at the Rawoot Centre in Athlone on Saturday April 1 in which a SBV Services security guard was shot dead and his partner left in a critical condition (“R1m reward for heist info”, Athlone News, April 5).
The heist took place while the SBV guards were about to load money into an FNB ATM.
After SBV Services offered a R1 million reward for information leading to the successful arrest and conviction of the perpetrators, police received a tip-off, said Athlone police spokesperson, Sergeant Zita Norman.
The man was found at a house in Malmesbury.
Police then brought the man, who works on the Malmesbury Emergency Medical Services ambulance, back to Athlone police station where he is currently being detained and the case is being investigated.
“Colonel Mark Adonis, Athlone SAPS station commander, thanked the members for a job well done and the law-abiding members of the community are thanked for their contribution in the fight against crime,” Sergeant Norman said.
Aziza Kannemeyer, chairwoman of the Athlone Community Police Forum, said while she was pleased with the arrest, it was worrying that the individuals the public thought they could trust, could, in fact, not be trusted.
“It just shows that it takes a large amount of money to get people to expose these kinds of individuals in the community.
“The money that was stolen is replaceable, but the person who def-ended the money cannot be replaced. People must become more aware of their surroundings because a robbery can take place right next to them and they won’t know,” she said.
