Two Springs escapees back behind bars

TWO OF the six men who escaped from Springs police station last Sunday have been rearrested, with police still on the hunt for the outstanding escapees.

Last week, the police announced they had launched a manhunt for the six men, after they overpowered a constable at the station and escaped their cells. The SAPS then called on the public for assistance in finding the men.

It’s understood that the constable guarding the six men alone had been handing over medication to one of the six around 9.30pm when the group managed to grab him.

“The escapees allegedly overpowered a police officer at the cell. As they were trying to strangle him, they took the cell keys, opened the cell door and escaped out of the police station.

“An attempt to apprehend them failed as they ran into different directions. The suspects are believed to be still in the East Rand area,” SAPS spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said last week.

Police have confirmed that two of the suspects, Teboho Makwate and Mombulelo Mjebo, were charged with murder and two of the other suspects, Mandla Makhulu Ngcobo and Sibusiso Motha, had been found in possession of drugs.

The other two suspects had been arrested for theft of copper cables and malicious damage to property.

Over the weekend, Dlamini revealed that Mjebo was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning in Tsakane, while the alleged copper cable thief was arrested on Wednesday at his residential address in Kwa-Thema.

“The arrests were effected following up information from members of the public. The suspects will face further charges of escaping from custody when they appear in the Springs Magistrate’s Court,” said Dlamini.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the remaining suspects may contact the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Blackie Swart, at 079 694 3840 or contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 at all hours. “Members of the public are warned not to confront these suspects as they are considered to be dangerous,” said Dlamini.

The SAPS has also announced that an internal investigation is being conducted to establish whether there was any negligence on the part of the police officers on duty at the station that may have been responsible for the escapes.