MAKHADO – In the wake of yet another controversy about police inefficiency, the Makhado SAPS are reported to have ignored a tip-off from members of the community on Monday morning about the possibility of an armed robbery to take place in town.

A reliable source within the Makhado SAPS told Mirror that “the area received a tip-off from members of the community that an armed robbery was to take place in town on Monday. As a result, the area alerted our station and further gave us instructions to close all the exit road from town, but that was ignored.”

At 10:00, five armed robbers held Big Five Security guards, who were collecting money at Palm Motors, at gunpoint and fled with an undisclosed amount of money. According to Insp Ndidzulafhi Nelufule of the Vhembe SAPS, though the thugs were heavily armed, no shots were fired. He said that they overpowered the guards and took two cases of money.

Nelufule said that the armed robbers fled in a white Toyota Camry with registration number FYX 226 GP. The vehicle was later found abandoned next to the railway line. “During our investigations, we found that the vehicle had been stolen in Gauteng last Sunday,” he said.

When asked if the area had notified the Makhado SAPS about the armed robbery, Nelufule disagreed. “We didn't know about this armed robbery. If we had information about it, we would have made a breakthrough by arresting those criminals,” he said.