POTCHEFSTROOM – A 46-year-old Sergeant Sello Molefe who is stationed at the Rustenburg Tactical Response Team (TRT) will on Thursday, 11 August 2022, reappear together with his accomplices; Mcebeni Benene (38), Arrao Silva (44) and Bokamoso Moabi (39) in the Mogwase Magistrates’ Court.
Molefe and Benene were remanded in custody after the initial court appearance on Monday, 1 August 2022, for ATM bombing, business robbery, five counts of attempted murder and two of carjacking. The accused were nabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning, 31 July 2022, following crimes allegedly committed at a petrol filling station on the R510 road near Mogwase outside Rustenburg. Reportedly, unknown males arrived at the filling station driving in two vehicles; a silver Volkswagen Polo and a BMW X5. They allegedly pointed customers and staff with firearms and went to an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and exploded it with explosives. However, no money was taken from the ATM as the cash container did not open.
The suspects then took an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register and hijacked a vehicle and a motor bike on their way out. Police were alerted of the incident and through assistance of a car tracking company, the hijacked vehicle was traced to Sondela informal settlement while Molefe and Benene were arrested in Boitekong and Tlhabane respectively. During the arrest, the police seized a rifle and boxes of cigarettes allegedly taken during the robbery. Subsequent to further investigations, Arrao Silva (44) and Bokamoso Moabi (39) were arrested at Boitekong and Tlhabane respectively. As result, they appeared in the Mogwase Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 4 August 2022, for ATM bombing, business robbery, five counts of attempted murder and two of carjacking. The duo was also remanded in custody and will reappear together with Molefe and Benene.
The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, congratulated Mogwase Detectives and other role players including the tracking company for their collaboration and swift response that led to the arrests. He cautioned that the South African Police Service (SAPS) does not have a place for employees who commit crime and that those involved in criminal activities, will certainly be dealt with harshly.
Source: South African Police Service