Officers robbed of R134k crime intelligence money by suspects driving car fitted with blue lights

Simon Van Wyk, 47, and Relebohile Patience Ntliziywane allegedly robbed Crime Intelligence officers of R134 000 at gun point. Picture: Free State Hawks

Simon Van Wyk, 47, and Relebohile Patience Ntliziywane allegedly robbed Crime Intelligence officers of R134 000 at gun point. Picture: Free State Hawks

Published Jun 15, 2021

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Johannesburg - Two suspects driving a Golf GTI fitted with blue lights have been arrested after allegedly robbing Crime Intelligence officers of R134 000 at gun point.

It is not known how Simon Van Wyk, 47, and Relebohile Patience Ntliziywane, 32, knew that the officers had money on them.

However, they allegedly stopped their vehicle, pointed firearms at them, opened the boot where the money was, took it and fled after taking the officers’ phones and handbags as well.

The duo was caught two weeks after the incident and appeared at the Bloemfontein Magistrate Court on Monday.

They face charges of armed robbery and fraud and were expected back in court on Friday for a bail application.

According to the Free State Hawks’ Captain Christopher Singo, on May 31, two members of Crime Intelligence in Welkom went to fetch money from Secret Service Account (SSA) in Bloemfontein.

The SSA money that is used by undercover police for their own investigations, Singo said.

“It is alleged that after fetching the money, the two police officials were 16 km out on the Bultfontein road they were pulled over by the suspects who were driving a sedan vehicle without number plates and with blue lights.

“The two officers stopped the vehicle and the accused pointed them with firearms and requested the money from them.

“It is further alleged that they opened the boot of the state vehicle and took the black bag containing SSA money to the value of R134 000.

“The handbags and cell phones of the police official were also taken during the robbery. The accused also utilised the bank cards of one of the police official after the robbery.”

Asked if the Hawks suspect that the two must have known that the officers had money on them hence they followed and robbed them, Singo said: “That I don’t know and is part of the ongoing investigation. Investigations will reveal if the suspects knew that the officers had so much money on them or if there are other people involved within the organisation.”

Singo said a during a joint operation conducted by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team and Crime Intelligence as well as Tactical Response Team (TRT) all based in Bloemfontein, the accused were arrested at their respective homes in Heidedal and Bloemanda.

The money, he said, was not recorvered.

“The Golf GTI  that was used for robbery was seized during their arrest.  The case against  Van Wyk and Ntliziywane has been postponed to Friday, June 18 for a formal bail application,” Singo said.

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