CIT heist robbers slapped with 285 years imprisonment by High Court
- Cash-in-transit robbers have been handed a collective 285 years imprisonment for their crimes
- The suspects were handed their fate by the Polokwane High Court on Wednesday
- The two men were found guilty of a number of operations in Polokwane, Seshego, Mankweng and Ritavi
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The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has welcomed the steep sentences imposed on two men found guilty of orchestrating cash-in-transit heists.
The Polokwane High Court handed the suspects, Boitumelo Daniel Aphane (34) and Solly Solomon Monama (38), a total of 285 years on Wednesday.
The pair had operated between September and October 2017 and committed a number of heists in Polokwane, Seshego, Mankweng and Ritavi.
A team seeing a collaboration between the Polokwane Serious Organised Crime Investigation, the Hawks and Provincial Organised Crime managed to track down the criminals.
Source: UGC
A statement issued by the Hawks on the matter, it was revealed that authorities had uncovered the pair's hideout:
"During the investigation, the team received a tip-off about the hideout of the suspects and it was followed up. Aphane was arrested in Dennilton whilst Monama was arrested in Hammanskraal in September 2018."
When the team had conducted the arrests authorities recovered R250 000 cash and an AK47 rifle.
Both men were consistently denied bail from the date of their arrest up until their conviction and eventual sentencing.
Aphane, who is currently serving 25 years imprisonment for a similar offence, was found guilty on 24 counts and sentenced to 192 years imprisonment as follows:
- Robbery under aggravating circumstances, found guilty on 5 counts and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on each count.
- Unlawful possession of firearm, found guilty on 11 counts and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment on each count.
- Unlawful possession of ammunition, found guilty on 4 counts and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on each count.
- Unlawful possession of explosives, found guilty on 3 counts and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment on each count.
- Pointing with a firearm, found guilty and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
All the sentences are to run concurrently. The court also ordered that the accused concurrently serve these sentences with the current sentence of 25 years imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Monama was found guilty on 8 counts and sentenced to a total of 66 years imprisonment as follows:
Robbery under aggravating circumstances, found guilty on 2 counts and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on each count.
Unlawful possession of firearm, found guilty on 4 counts and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment on each count.
Unlawful possession of ammunition, found guilty on 2 counts and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on each count.
National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya commented on the sterling work done by those involved in bringing the crooks to book:
“These sentences will serve as a deterrence to other potential criminals who must know that the law will catch up with them. The community will be safer from the two who shall be receiving corrective lessons in Correctional Services facility”. General Lebeya added.
In other news, Briefly.co.za reported that five suspects have been taken into custody in connection with the murders of two businesswomen in Polokwane earlier in October.
Authorities managed to make a breakthrough in the investigation after a manhunt had been launched.
The SA Police Service has confirmed that one of the suspects arrested is the husband of one of the victims.
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Source: Briefly News
