GAUTENG. – Two suspects of a syndicate that lured victims through Facebook Marketplace and robbed them have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Capt. Tintswalo Sibeko, police spokesperson, says the Ga-Rankuwa High Court on Tuesday sentenced Sifiso Maseko (31) and Thapelo Ngwenya (33) to life imprisonment plus 60 and 75 years respectively. Kabelo Joseph Ngwenya (33) was found not guilty, while Ntsindiso Alfred Mtunzini (34) was sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment. The sentences stem from five cases reported to Loate police station between November 2021 and March 2022.
According to the investigation, the group advertised products such as ice cream machines, DJ sound systems and vehicles at attractive prices on Facebook Marketplace and then lured victims to Winterveld. One victim was shot three times in the stomach during an alleged robbery in 2021 and died from his injuries on the way to hospital. Members of the Gauteng provincial organised crime unit arrested four suspects in Winterveld on 12 March 2022. Five victims' cases were later linked to the syndicate.
Maj. Gen. Fred Kekana, acting provincial commissioner, welcomed the sentence and commended the investigation team. He urged the public to be cautious when responding to online advertisements and to verify sellers' identities. Transactions should rather take place in safe, public places.
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This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
