Four arrested as police foil Nquthu supermarket robbery plot in northern KZN
Four men were arrested after police received information that they were planning an armed robbery at a Nquthu supermarket in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
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Police in KwaZulu-Natal have arrested four men in connection with a planned armed robbery at a supermarket in Nquthu, northern KZN.
The suspects, aged between 39 and 49, were taken into custody on Monday afternoon following an intelligence-driven operation involving the Mzinyathi District Crime Intelligence unit and the Glencoe K9 Unit.
According to provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza, police in KwaZulu-Natal arrested four suspects at Nquthu for conspiracy to commit an armed robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
He said the planned attack was uncovered after officers obtained detailed information about preparations reportedly underway for the robbery.
The incident comes after a brazen daylight robbery at a shopping centre in Pinetown, Durban on Monday. In that incident, a courier vehicle was robbed, police confirmed.
Once all details were confirmed, Crime Intelligence officers requested support from Glencoe K9 to intercept the suspects before the crime took place.
Magwaza said at approximately 3pm, officers identified and moved in on men “fitting the description of the suspects” in the vicinity of the supermarket allegedly targeted for the robbery.
During the search, one of the suspects was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm. Police said the remaining three suspects were carrying firearms legally licensed to them.
The four men were then charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and the suspect, 49, allegedly found with the unlicensed gun will face an additional charge of possession of an unlicensed firearm. He is scheduled to appear in the Nquthu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The other three suspects were expected to make their first appearance on Wednesday.
Police described the operation as a coordinated effort based on actionable intelligence intended to stop the crime before it could be carried out. Magwaza said officers “pounced on the four suspects” once they had confirmed the location, movements, and identities of those believed to be involved.
The case will proceed in the Nquthu Magistrate’s Court as investigations continue.