Further suspects police want to arrest for last month’s massive airport heist are in Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Angola, the Kempton Park Regional Court heard on Wednesday.
Investigating officer Peter Mbobani revealed this in cross-examination by Pieter Wilkens, an advocate defending an operations manager employed by the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa).
His client, Nazir Ismail (38), is one of nine people in the dock applying for bail. They were arrested after the March 25 hold-up when gunmen took on guards at the gates of Johannesburg International airport.
Others armed with AK-47 assault rifles held up guards and police at a South African Airways aircraft and helped themselves to bags of currency flown in from Britain.
Three others in the dock are Ismail’s Acsa colleagues — Magdalena Moonsamy (24), Rookaya Ebrahim (35) and Sean Soobramoney (32).
The others are Mzikise Maqwaza (24), Vusimuzi Ichumelo (32), Themba Cornelius Phutsitsi (33), Annanius Nepfumbe (38) and Danisa Nee Tsuma (32).
Another, Bhekithembo Khumalo (34), has died of wounds he sustained when he was shot during his arrest two weeks ago in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg.
When the court adjourned for tea, the eight were returned to the holding cells. Some greeted family members with kisses and touches. — Sapa