Cape Town - A man who allegedly robbed a Sassa paypoint while dressed in a Checkers uniform was nabbed after returning to Cape Town for a court appearance in a separate matter.
Police say one of the six alleged robbers who held up the Stellenbosch Checkers store at gunpoint was caught in a sting operation at Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court.
Cops had been tracking the 29-year-old man and his accomplices for several weeks after they fooled staff and security guards by wearing Checkers uniforms to gain access to the store at Eikestad Mall earlier this month.
According to a police source, they raided the Sassa paypoint and fled with a huge amount of cash.
He says shortly before the store opened, the men dressed in Checkers T-shirts and one disguised as a woman, pretended to be staff members and got into the store as the real staff arrived for work.
“These okes are crafty. They went there dressed as employees and got in with the staff before the store opened,” says the source.
“The one ou (guy) even put on a wig and some fake boobs and pretended to be a woman. Once inside, they held up the store and made off with the cash.”
At the time, Checkers confirmed the robbery took place at their store, but did not respond to questions about the alleged robbers wearing Checkers uniforms.
No staff were injured in the incident.
Captain FC van Wyk says crime intelligence officers and provincial detectives studied the footage and the 29-year-old man from Makhaza was identified.
“Details of the suspect were forwarded to the provincial detectives and the suspect’s cellphone was electronically monitored. It showed it had been used in Port Elizabeth.
“The suspect’s home was visited and it was confirmed he was in the Port Elizabeth area.”
Van Wyk says police received information that the man had returned to Cape Town and was appearing for a different case in the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
“This led to an operation being conducted at the Khayelitsha Court and the suspect being arrested.
“He is due to appear in the Stellenbosch Magistrates’ Court on a charge of armed robbery.”
Police did not respond to further questions about the remaining suspects.