Pretoria – Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has commended the police for averting the attempted heist at Emperors Palace casino at the weekend.
“It was planned with precision, executed spectacularly and a mission well-accomplished,” said Mthethwa, who described the failed casino heist and the subsequent arrests at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on Sunday as “a success”.
Police made a breakthrough and foiled an imminent armed robbery where eight firearms were recovered and 15 suspected robbers were arrested, following a shoot-out.
Two out of 14 suspects were shot and wounded and are under police guard at a local hospital.
“Through a Crime Intelligence-led operation, police followed information that a gang of 19 suspects travelling in several vehicles were planning to rob the casino. During observation, police were involved in a shoot-out with suspects travelling in a Mazda double-cab bakkie at the main entrance of the casino,” the police said in a statement.
The suspects, aged between 25 and 45 years, will be charged with conspiracy to rob, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms as well possession of suspected stolen vehicles when they appear at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court within 48 hours.
Mthethwa said the foiling of the attempted heist was achieved through a multifaceted approach.
“Through their different policing expertise, our teams were able to succeed and that is what underpins our policing philosophy, which is to work together as different yet complimentary role-players.
“... It should also be emphasized that police were faced with suspects who were determined to rob and in the process, would not have hesitated to kill our officers or even innocent civilians.”
Mthethwa hoped the incident would send a strong warning to any would-be criminal that police will not hesitate to act in ensuring that businesses, homes and recreational areas of all law-abiding citizens were safe and secure.
“The success of this operation has demonstrated that we have the capacity to make a significant impact on crime. We urge the officers across the country to utilize this experience in their approach of dealing with violent crime in general. Now more than ever, as government we are working tirelessly to make life difficult for criminals in our midst,” the minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
