Forensics link ‘Rolex Gang’ to 12 robberies

Two police forensic officers have explained how they linked 12 robberies committed by the infamous Rolex Gang.

Johannesburg - Two police forensic officers have explained how they linked 12 robberies committed by the infamous Rolex Gang as part of a trial against three suspected members.

Betha Mphikeleni, Sipho Mabundla and George Mulaudzi are suspected of committing 12 armed robberies over six weeks in 2014 as part of the gang, tracking down people who had recently purchased very valuable items.

Their trial began in the high court sitting in Palm Ridge this week, with the two officers who helped link the numerous crimes taking the stand on Thursday.

Forensic examiner Warrant Officer Themba Moloto and senior forensic analyst Ditsewe Makgati explained that through the use of bullet casings found at each robbery scene, they were able to connect them to the guns seized from the three alleged gangsters after their arrest.

Mphikeleni, Mabundla and Mulaudzi were arrested on April 22, 2014 after a dramatic high-speed chase and shootout with police officer Derek Bruce Macintosh.

During the gunfight, an-other man travelling in their vehicle, Clifford Ngcobo, was killed.

While Macintosh acknowledged in his own testimony earlier that he could have possibly killed Ngcobo in self-defence, he also theorised that the suspected robber could have also been accidentally murdered by one of his accomplices.

Macintosh testified that the head wounds showed Ngcobo had been shot on the left side of his face, while the officer had approached their car on the right.

While defence advocate Mavhavha Twala tried to clarify this issue with Moloto, the forensics expert was unable to help. Moloto said the bullet extracted from Ngcobo’s body was too damaged to determine what firearm it had come from, meaning there was no way to tell whether it was Macintosh’s.

The trial resumes on Monday.

shain.germaner@inl.co.za

The Star