The high court in Polokwane on Thursday have sentenced three men to live in prison.
They were convicted for various crimes committed during a foiled cash-in-transit heist in Mokopane on April 1 2017.
Two out of the five robbers were killed during the same foiled attack.
Limpopo Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba was pleased with the heavy sentences imposed on Daniel Boitumelo Aphane, 34, Sehlabe Louis Nthuthwana, 41, and Charles Mogale, 51.
On the day of the foiled robbery, members of the provincial tracking task team – led by Lt-Col Richard Boshomane and assisted by Crime Intelligence operatives – stationed themselves in strategic spots after they got a lead about the proposed robbery by the five suspects.
They planned to rob a G4S security truck after collecting money from businesses in the Mokopane CBD.
The robbers were then sighted travelling in a hijacked Ford bakkie. They immediately sped off upon when they realized that they were being followed.
They were chased and eventually cornered in the Mokopane CBD. There was a shoot-out during the period which led to the death of two robbers.
The remaining three robbers were immediately arrested.
The police was able to recover an R5 rifle, two pistols and the Ford bakkie which had been hijacked on the outskirts of Polokwane in January 2017.
All three robbers were convicted on two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and reckless and negligent driving.
They were finally sentenced to life imprisonment and a combined 42-year jail term for other crimes.
Ledwaba praised the team which apprehended the robbers.
“The successes of this team will go a long way in ridding this province of incidents of crime, especially violent crimes,” Ledwaba said.
