A gang of suspected criminals believed to have been terrorising residents from Walmer through to Lorraine and potentially linked to several robberies and murders, have been arrested.
The breakthrough came at 3am on Thursday when a team of Walmer police station officials followed up information on the gang hiding out at a house in Walmer township.
According to police the men, aged 19, 23 and 26-years-old, have been evading capture for months – moving between hideouts to avoid arrest.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said the 23-year-old had been linked to the murder of Deepek Mamtari, 68, during a house robbery in Villiers Road on November 7.
She said the arrests came after a series of raids at several house in Walmer township.
“They have been on the run for about a month which is when detectives identified this group as being linked to several open cases. Information was gathered and several houses raided during the early hours of (Thursday) morning,” she said.
“The three were found hiding at a house in Airport Valley in Walmer township. This group is believed to be linked to a series of robberies in the greater Walmer area including Walmer township, Charlo, Providentia, and possibly Lorraine.
“He [23-year-old] is also linked to two other murders that occurred in the Walmer township area in August this year.”
Mamtari was attacked in his Villiers Road home, between Eighth and Ninth avenues, during an early morning house robbery.
Police said Mamtari was beaten and subsequently died in hospital five days later. Two cellphones, a TV set and a laptop were stolen in the robbery.
Janse van Rensburg said the 19-year-old is believed to also be linked to a series of robberies however detectives were still busy linking him to open cases.
“The 26-year-old suspect is arrested for possession of suspected stolen property and detectives are still establishing if he is the buyer and how he fits into the gang,” she said.
Janse van Rensburg said during the raid police found several laptops, televisions, computer screens, cellphones and various other gadgets.
“At the moment detectives are still linking these stolen items to the various robberies. Once they are linked, more charges will follow,” she said.
Since the beginning of the year, the Walmer area has been played with house robberies where both home owners and guest houses have been targeted.
Asked if the gang was believed to be implicated in some of the robberies, Janse van Rensburg said detectives were still determining if the men were linked to any of the guest house robberies.
Cluster commander Major General Thembisile Patekile said that the arrests were a breakthrough in several open cases.
All three are due to appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Suspects arrested in connection with spate of robberies, murders
A gang of suspected criminals believed to have been terrorising residents from Walmer through to Lorraine and potentially linked to several robberies and murders, have been arrested.
The breakthrough came at 3am on Thursday when a team of Walmer police station officials followed up information on the gang hiding out at a house in Walmer township.
According to police the men, aged 19, 23 and 26-years-old, have been evading capture for months – moving between hideouts to avoid arrest.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said the 23-year-old had been linked to the murder of Deepek Mamtari, 68, during a house robbery in Villiers Road on November 7.
She said the arrests came after a series of raids at several house in Walmer township.
“They have been on the run for about a month which is when detectives identified this group as being linked to several open cases. Information was gathered and several houses raided during the early hours of (Thursday) morning,” she said.
“The three were found hiding at a house in Airport Valley in Walmer township. This group is believed to be linked to a series of robberies in the greater Walmer area including Walmer township, Charlo, Providentia, and possibly Lorraine.
“He [23-year-old] is also linked to two other murders that occurred in the Walmer township area in August this year.”
Mamtari was attacked in his Villiers Road home, between Eighth and Ninth avenues, during an early morning house robbery.
Police said Mamtari was beaten and subsequently died in hospital five days later. Two cellphones, a TV set and a laptop were stolen in the robbery.
Janse van Rensburg said the 19-year-old is believed to also be linked to a series of robberies however detectives were still busy linking him to open cases.
“The 26-year-old suspect is arrested for possession of suspected stolen property and detectives are still establishing if he is the buyer and how he fits into the gang,” she said.
Janse van Rensburg said during the raid police found several laptops, televisions, computer screens, cellphones and various other gadgets.
“At the moment detectives are still linking these stolen items to the various robberies. Once they are linked, more charges will follow,” she said.
Since the beginning of the year, the Walmer area has been played with house robberies where both home owners and guest houses have been targeted.
Asked if the gang was believed to be implicated in some of the robberies, Janse van Rensburg said detectives were still determining if the men were linked to any of the guest house robberies.
Cluster commander Major General Thembisile Patekile said that the arrests were a breakthrough in several open cases.
All three are due to appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
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