Cop jailed for 20 years for R2.3m heist

A former Cape Town police officer has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars for robbing a cash-in-transit vehicle of R2.3m using a police vehicle.

The Blue Downs regional court sentenced Sandile Edward Mroqoza, 40, on Thursday.  He was convicted of robbery with aggravating circumstances. The cash was found hidden in his fridge.

Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said the heist was committed in May 2016 on Waarburgh Road in Joostenberg Vlakte, Kraaifontein. At the time, Mroqoza, who was a constable, was stationed at the Nyanga police station. Hani said the cash-in-transit guards were approached by a “police van fitted with blue lights and marked Nyanga Vispol”.  

“The SAPS vehicle forced the truck to stop,” said Hani.

“Two suspects wearing SAPS uniforms got out of the front of the vehicle and four other suspects, wearing civilian clothing, alighted from the back. The suspects threatened the driver of the armoured vehicle with firearms and forced him to open the back of the vehicle. They reversed the SAPS vehicle with its back to the G4S truck whereby they emptied the drop-safes.”  

Hani said the driver and the crewmen’s firearms were taken.

“The crewmen were slightly injured after being hit on the head with a firearm,” she said.

“An amount of over R2.3m was taken. Through an intensive investigation, information was followed up on May 4 2016 and a SAPS constable stationed at Nyanga SAPS was arrested.”

Hani said a black bag containing cash and stashed inside a fridge was recovered at Mroqoza’s house.

“Further investigation ... established that Mroqoza used the SAPS van which indicated that the vehicle was on the crime scene.”

The court declared Mroqoza unfit to possess a firearm. 

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