Former Cape Town police constable, Sandile Edward Mroqoza, sentenced to 20 years in prison for robbing a cash-in-transit vehicle of R2.3m using a police vehicle

Former Cape Town police constable Sandile Edward Mroqoza has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for robbing a cash-in-transit vehicle of R2.3m using a police vehicle. 

South Africa is an endless movie. A former Cape Town police officer has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars for robbing a cash-in-transit vehicle of R2.3m using a police vehicle.

The Bluedowns regional court sentenced Sandile Edward Mroqoza, 40, on Thursday. He was convicted of robbery with aggravating circumstances. The cash was found hidden in his fridge.

“Two (2) suspects wearing police uniform got out of the front of the vehicle and four (4) other suspects, wearing civilian clothing, alighted from the back.

“The suspects threatened the driver of the armoured vehicle with firearms and forced him to open the back of the vehicle. They reversed the SAPS vehicle with its back to the G4S truck whereby they emptied the drop-safes.

“The driver and the crewman’s firearms were taken.” Hani explained that one of the victim’s was left wounded and a black bag had been found at Mroqoza’s home in Khayelitsha: “The crewman was slightly injured after being hit on the head with a firearm. An amount of over R2.3 million was taken. Through intensive investigation, information was followed up on May 4, 2016 and a Police Constable stationed at Nyanga Police Station was arrested.

“A black bag containing cash was recovered at his house inside the fridge.“ Further investigation through AVL established that Mroqoza used the police van which indicated that the vehicle was at the crime scene.

Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said the heist was committed in May 2016 on Waarburgh Road in Joostenberg Vlakte, Kraaifontein. At the time, Mroqoza, who was a constable, was stationed at the Nyanga police station. Hani said the cash-in-transit guards were approached by a “police van fitted with blue lights and marked Nyanga Vispol”.  

“The SAPS vehicle forced the truck to stop,” said Hani.

“Two suspects wearing SAPS uniforms got out of the front of the vehicle and four other suspects, wearing civilian clothing, alighted from the back. The suspects threatened the driver of the armoured vehicle with firearms and forced him to open the back of the vehicle