Crocodile Bridge Robbbery Suspects Arrested at Naas Trust in Tonga

Four suspects were arrested on August 3, 2006 in connection with the robbery that occurred at Crocodile Bridge rest camp on July 11, 2006. A fifth man is still at large, but Captain Ockie Brits, commander of the serious violent crimes unit in the lowveld, says that they are hoping to arrest him in the near future.

The men appeared in the White River court on August 4, 2006, and will remain in custody until their next court appearance on August 16, 2006. Capt Brits has said that the police will oppose any bail applications.

Two of the men are South Africans, while the other two are Swazi citizens. The South Africans are Levi Ngobeni (36) and Vusi Khoza (24), and the Swazi citizens are Boy Ndzinisa (27) and Gift Mbhamali (38).

Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested the suspects in the vicinity of the Naas Trust in Tonga, near Komatipoort. During the arrest they seized R2,600, firearms and ammunition, laptops and new furniture. Two .458 rifles and .458 ammunition were seized, along with a shotgun and a pistol. These weapons were stolen during the commission of the crime at Crocodile Bridge. One of the firearms taken during the robbery was not recovered.