Five Armed Robbery Suspects Arrested After Mthatha Police Tracks Them To Roof Hideout

Five male suspects aged between 22 and 41 were arrested on Monday morning after a swift response by the Mthatha K9 Unit following an armed robbery near Madeira Street in Mthatha.

Police said the incident occurred at about 08:30 when a 47-year-old businessman was driving in the area and his vehicle was suddenly blocked by another car. Two armed suspects allegedly got out of the vehicle and robbed the victim of a bag containing a large amount of cash and cellphones before fleeing the scene.

K9 Unit Uses Cellphone Tracking to Trace Suspects to North Crest

The Mthatha K9 Unit was immediately activated, and cellphone tracking led officers to a homestead in the North Crest residential area.

A Toyota Hilux believed to have been used during the robbery was spotted at the property. On seeing the police, all five suspects allegedly tried to avoid arrest by hiding in the roof ceiling of the house. Police cornered the suspects and placed them under arrest without further incident.

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Firearms and Stolen Vehicle Linked to Earlier Case Recovered

During the operation, police recovered the stolen bag containing cash, a tracked cellphone and bank cards. Two 9mm pistols with ammunition were also seized, one of which was licensed, while the other had its serial number filed off.

Further investigations revealed that the Toyota Hilux used during the robbery was linked to a Lingelihle CAS number from July 2024 related to a carjacking case.

The suspects are expected to appear before the Mthatha Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 10 February 2026. They face charges of armed robbery, unlawful possession of an unlicensed firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of suspected stolen property and possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle.