Be careful on FB Marketplace: Thieves get life imprisonment for robbery gone wrong

A gang involved in a series of robberies targeting innocent shoppers through online advertisements received harsh sentences from the Gauteng High Court this week. Two members of the syndicate were handed life imprisonment. The court's investigation into the criminal operation spanned five incidents between November 2021 and March 2022.

The gang utilized Facebook Marketplace as their platform to lure victims with advertisements for items like vehicles and other valuable possessions. The group functioned as a sophisticated criminal organization, with each member assigned specific tasks, including posting ads, contacting potential victims, arranging meeting locations, and guiding victims to designated meeting points.

On 28 November 2021, a victim who had responded to an advertisement for an ice cream machine traveled to Winterveld to meet with the suspects. The victim's journey led him to a secluded area where he encountered a group of armed individuals. The suspects instructed him to leave his vehicle and proceeded to confront him. Despite attempting to defend himself, the victim was overpowered by the group and subsequently shot multiple times in the stomach. He later passed away on his way to the hospital.

In an effort to apprehend the perpetrators, a search operation by the Gauteng Provincial Organised Crime Unit was conducted in Winterveld on 12 March 2022. During this operation, Sifiso Maseko (31), Thapelo Ngwenya (33), Kabelo Joseph Ngwenya (33), and Ntsindiso Alfred Mtunzini (34) were arrested. They were charged with multiple offenses, including murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

On Tuesday, the court delivered its verdict in the case. Maseko and Ngwenya were both sentenced to life imprisonment, with additional direct imprisonment terms of 60 and 75 years, respectively. Mtunzini received a sentence of 15 years of direct imprisonment. Ngwenya was subsequently found not guilty of the charges brought against him.