Five arrested after armed robbery at church

Police have arrested five suspects in connection with an armed robbery at a church in Samora Machel in the Western Cape where congregants were robbed of their personal belongings and church equipment. The robbery took place on Sunday, when armed suspects entered the church and allegedly held worshippers up before fleeing with stolen items. Following the incident, members of the Tactical Response Team, Provincial Detectives and Samora Machel detectives launched an investigation and tracing operation to track down those responsible.

Their efforts led to the arrest of five suspects, aged between 27 and 39, on Tuesday morning. Police also recovered some of the items that had been stolen during the robbery. The suspects are facing charges of business robbery and possession of stolen property. They are expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.