Pretoria | Thursday
TWO of five people arrested in the United Kingdom last week in connection with a robbery in Switzerland are South Africans and the others Austrians with permanent South African residence permits and travelling on temporary South African passports.
The five, four men and a woman, were arrested on September 28 at the Port of Dover in the United Kingdom on allegations of robbery, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
Departmental representative Ronnie Mamoepa said they were arrested by UK customs officials who searched a Land Rover Discovery and a caravan, which reportedly had Gauteng registrations.
He said Dover police had indicated that the vehicle and caravan had arrived in France earlier on September 28, before its occupants drove to the UK.
“Upon searching the vehicle and caravan, the customs officials allegedly found about 400 000 Swiss Francs (about R2-million), Kruger rands, two firearms and a plastic replica firearm, plastic handcuffs, balaclavas and gloves in the possession of the five South Africans,” said Mamoepa.
He said the Dover police had advised the South African High Commission in London that the matter would be handed over to the extradition squad in London because the Swiss government “will seek their extradition for trial in Switzerland”.
Mamoepa said the Swiss government had issued an international warrant for their arrest following a bank robbery near Lucerne in Switzerland on September 27.
Mamoepa said an eyewitness noticed a Land Rover and a caravan close to the scene of crime.
“The Swiss police were then put on alert, and upon arrival at the Port of Dover, the group was arrested.” – AFP