Rolex gang mastermind arrested
2009-11-12 10:16
Johannesburg - The alleged "mastermind" of a gang notorious for its love of luxury watches has been arrested, Gauteng police said on Thursday.
"This person was the one involved in the Rolex watch gang. He was the mastermind, he was the king of this gang," said Inspector Moses Maphakela.
The 35-year-old man, who cannot be named because he has not appeared in court, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon following a high-speed chase through Sandton.
Police had ambushed the man at a clinic in Morningside. When cornered, the man barrelled through police cars in a Mercedes Benz while being shot at and sped off to Friedman Drive.
Shooting
"The shooting had started at Morningside clinic and he smashed the car into the police and drove away," said Maphakela.
He was pursued by the police who were firing continuously. The 35-year-old man stopped only after he was wounded in the left hand, he said.
Police had been led to the Morningside Clinic based on a tip-off they received on Tuesday. On the same day, Maphakela said they nearly captured the man after he was involved in the hijacking of a car in Randburg loaded with R250 000 worth of cigarettes.
In that incident, police gave chase from Randburg until Bramley when seven of the eight hijackers escaped from a parking lot. One of the suspected hijackers was arrested.
Maphakela said that police believe the man is the leader of the gang based on intelligence.
"This person, everywhere they rob people they mention his name, when we want to catch him he just disappears."
Under police guard
The 35-year-old man was taken to hospital under "heavy police guard". Police found a small, .22 pistol in his car.
Maphakela said the name of the hospital where he is being treated will not be released because of the dangerousness of the arrested man.
"I will not release the name of the hospital because it is a problem. We are still looking for suspects who could go there and shoot at the police and try to take him," he said.
The 35-year-old man has already been arrested for a hijacking and driveway robberies at least once. He had previously appeared in Wynburg Magistrates' court where he was denied bail. He then applied to the South Gauteng High Court where R10 000 bail was granted, said Maphakela.
He will not appear in court for this incident until he is released from hospital.
The so-called "Rolex Gang" have been named for their modus operandi of identifying shoppers at high-end shops in the Sandton area and following them to their homes where they rob them of their luxury goods.
- SAPA