May 9, 2024
Airport heist suspect arrested after boasting with Lamborghini
The suspected kingpin behind the audacious OR Tambo International Airport cash heist of up to R200m posted pictures of himself with a new R5m Lamborghini on social media
THE suspected kingpin behind the audacious OR Tambo International Airport cash heist has been arrested after posting pictures of himself with a new R5m Lamborghini on social media.
The suspect, whose name is known to The Times, was arrested on Saturday at his luxury Blue Valley Estate home in Centurion near Pretoria home just hours after his posts of pictures of himself and friends on social media posing with his new wheels.
On March 7, a gang of 13 men made of with an estimated R200m in foreign currency which was being flown out of the country.
A week later police arrested four people linked to the heist, one of whom is a policeman.
The latest arrest is believed to have come after police were alerted following the purchase of Lamborghini and suspicions about the transaction.
A source close to the police investigation said officers recovered a large amount of cash when they raided his home.
Police declined to comment on the arrests.
A second source said the arrest followed those of four other men on Saturday night.
He said the first suspect, a 30-year-old Guardforce guard, was arrested in Tembisa.
Guardforce was in charge of escorting the money to SAA flight 294 when it was stolen last week.
The source said the Guardforce guard worked at the vault where the money had been stored shortly before it was transferred to the aircraft.
The second arrest of a 39-year-old G4S security guard occurred at Elandsfontein, shortly afterwards said the source.
G4S was responsible for providing an escort to the Guardforce employees who escorted the money.
“A Zimbabwean national, who is alleged to have cloned the police vehicles used in the heist, was arrested in Norkem Park. The fifth person arrested is also a guard, who is responsible, for perimetre duties at the airport”, the source said.
It is not clear who this guard was employed by.
The Zimbabwean nation is believed to have been linked to the cloned police vehicle used in the heist.
Hawks spokesman Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi said he could not confirm or deny the arrests.
On Tuesday, acting national police boss Lt Khomotso Phahlane announced the arrest of the four suspects initial suspects.
Two have already appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court and face armed robbery charges. They are expected to appear in court again later this week.
The heist has also seen five lieutenant-colonels being transferred from the airport, according to the Sunday Times.
Police are yet to confirm whether part of the money has been recovered and are reportedly investigating the exact amount stolen, the currency and the intended destination.
Phahlane said investigations were continuing. — TMG Digital
