Bust by selfie brag: Snaps of R5m Lamborghini lead to OR Tambo heist arrest

20 March 2017 - 10:51 By GRAEME HOSKEN and LOYISO SIDIMBA
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The suspect posing with the Lamborghini.
The suspect posing with the Lamborghini.
Image: Supplied

The suspected kingpin behind the audacious OR Tambo International Airport cash heist has been arrested after posting pictures of himself with a new R5-million Lamborghini on social media.

The suspect, whose name is known to The Times, was arrested Sunday at his luxury Blue Valley Estate home in Centurion near Pretoria just hours after he posted pictures of himself and friends on social media with his new wheels.

On March 7 a gang of 13 men made off with an estimated R200-million in foreign currency which was being flown out of the country.

  • OR Tambo heist: The TimesLIVE story that could have kept suspects out of troubleBragging and going on a spending spree is the last thing any self-respecting heist kingpin should do. 

A week later police arrested four people allegedly linked to the heist, one of whom is a policeman. The latest arrest is believed to have come after police were alerted following suspicions about the purchase of the Lamborghini.

A source close to the police investigation said officers recovered a large amount of cash when they raided the suspect’s home.

Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said he could not confirm or deny the arrests.

  • Airport heist drama twist: 5 cops transferred from OR TamboFive top police officers are being transferred from OR Tambo International Airport after the spectacular R200-million cash heist there, but their union says they are being targeted for blowing the whistle on corruption and crime. 

A second source said the arrest followed the arrest of four other men on Saturday night. He said the first suspect, a 30-year-old security guard with Guardforce, was arrested in Tembisa, on the East Rand.

Guardforce was in charge of escorting the money to SAA flight 294 when it was stolen last week.

The source said the Guardforce guard worked at the vault where the money had been stored shortly before it was transferred to the aircraft.

The second arrest, of a 39-year old security guard, occurred at Elandsfontein shortly afterwards, said the source.

“A Zimbabwean national, who is alleged to have cloned the police vehicles used in the heist, was arrested in Norkem Park. The fifth person arrested is also a guard, who is responsible for perimeter duties at the airport,” the source said. It is not clear who this guard was employed by.

  • IN MEMES: Twitter rips #ORTamboheist suspect to shreds over Lamborghini purchaseTwitter has wasted no time in roasting the suspected kingpin of the multi-million OR Tambo heist, after a selfie with a brand new R5-million Lamborghini led to his arrest.  

On Tuesday acting national police boss Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane announced the arrest of the four initial suspects.

Two have already appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court and face armed robbery charges.

They are expected to appear in court again later this week.

The heist has also resulted in five lieutenant-colonels being transferred from the airport, according to the Sunday Times.

Police are yet to confirm if some of the money has been recovered and are reportedly probing the exact amount stolen, the currency and the intended destination.

Investigations are continuing.

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