More than 20 arrested in Winterveld believed to target Facebook Market buyers

JOHANNESBURG - More than 20 people have been arrested after police pounced on two gangs in Winterveld, north of Pretoria, at the weekend.

Police believe one of the gangs is linked to a criminal network behind a spike in robberies targeting unsuspecting customers making purchases on Facebook Market.

The other gang is allegedly responsible for the recent road spiking incidents, targeting motorists on the R80, N1 and N4 highways.

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Police have made a major breakthrough as they try to clamp down on crime in Pretoria.

The latest arrests include suspects believed to be behind the recent road spiking incidents on some of the major routes in the province.

Their modus operandi is to place spikes on the roadway, bursting motorists’ tyres, before robbing or hijacking the victims.

Police Spokesperson Brenda Muridili said that detectives together with FNB security officials, traced the suspects to an illegal shebeen.

 “The suspects responsible for road spiking incidents on the N1, N4 and R80 in Tshwane district. The team went to Winterveldt at a house which was also used to operate an illegal shebeen where they confronted 10 male suspects as well as the woman running the shebeen.”

Muridili said that one of the suspects charged at police with a firearm and was shot and killed.

He is believed to be the mastermind behind the spiking incidents.