Former
Hawks captain arrested for R107 million heist.
A former Hawks captain has
been arrested for his alleged involvement the MpumalangaStandard Bank, Barclays (First
National Bank) and Volkskas (SBV) heist of R107 million.Brigadier
Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesperson for the Hawks, said an investigating team,
assisted by members of the Task Force, arrested Bhekani Welcome Gcabashe at his
home in Bronkhorstspruit on Wednesday in connection with his alleged
involvement in the robbery.“Another
team comprising the Technical Operations Management Section’s operatives also
hit one of his lavish houses in Belfast. In both operations, members managed to
seize items which would assist in the investigation,” he said.Gcabashe,
a former captain who was previously attached to the Mpumalanga Organised Crime
Unit, resigned in 2011. He made a brief appearance in the Witbank Magistrate’s
Court on Thursday and was granted R20 000 bail on condition that he handed
over his passport, that he would not interfere with witnesses and reported at
the Bronkhorstspruit police station on a weekly basis.Nearly
22 people have been arrested in connection with this heist since the
investigation started last year.“During
April 2014, it was alleged that an armed group raided an SBV depot in Witbank
and stole almost R107 million after overpowering two guards and
robbing them of their firearms,” Mulaudzi said.The
guards were kidnapped while the armed men continued disabling the alarm system
and cutting open one of the safes with cutting torches.Mulaudzi
said the armed men allegedly kidnapped two guards who were supposed to relieve
two others the following morning.“The
four guards were allegedly forced to drink a tainted concoction before they
were dumped next to the Kromdraai road in Witbank. All the suspects,
including Gcabashe, will appear in the High Court on 10 June,” he said.
