Mbalula happy with ‘fast and furious’ action to foil airport robbery

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula says he is happy with police mechanisms acting “fast and furiously” to foil a robbery at OR Tambo International airport on Saturday morning.

A swift response by the South African Police Service‚ Metro Police and airport security resulted in an armed robbery at the cargo terminal of the airport being foiled.

One suspect was shot during a shootout with SAPS officers while another was arrested.

“The security situation surrounding criminality at the airport is worrisome‚” Mbalula said in an interview with eNCA.

“Criminals will not step back and there is an inside job at the airport involving even some of our police‚” Mbalula said.

“There are also private security companies in terms of the airport who are there who we need to collaborate with. That airport has been an expansion and generation of criminality. I can assure you it will be a matter of the past‚” he said.

The airport has suffered under a wave of crime recently‚ with increasing amounts of travellers being followed from the airport and robbed.

The SAPS also announced a revamp of security measures after a gang of armed men made off with R200-million‚ also after gaining access through the cargo terminal.

“We are very happy that our measures in place were able to react fast and furiously‚” Mbalula said.

“I can assure South Africans‚ as much as criminals want to do their thing‚ we are waiting. We are not only going to suffocate them‚ we will arrest them.”

- TimesLIVE