Two women have been remanded in custody after their appearance in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court.
The women were apprehend by Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) in connection with the drugging and robbery of a 75-year-old pensioner.
The suspects appeared in court on Wednesday after their arrests on Monday afternoon.
The arrests came after RUSA officers tracked one suspect to Montford in Chatsworth and the other to Sunford in Phoenix.
“While the suspects have been detained, their family members have handed over items that were stolen on November 8,” said RUSA’s Prem Balram.
According to reports, the women allegedly “met” the elderly victim on Facebook, where they arranged to meet in person. During their encounter, it is claimed that the suspects drugged his hot drink. The pensioner reportedly woke up hours later to find his home ransacked.
Both suspects face criminal charges, and the State Prosecutor opposed bail, citing links to two similar cases in Phoenix registered with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the eThekwini region. Additionally, the court was informed that one of the suspects had previously received a five-year suspended sentence for a crime with a similar modus operandi.
The magistrate ordered that the suspects remain in SAPS custody at the Verulam Police cells, with the case adjourned until Wednesday November 20.
The identities of the suspects, as well as bodycam footage from RUSA officers, is being withheld until an identity parade is completed.
