Limpopo police have mobilised their resources and personnel in tracking down a group of armed suspects who robbed nine foreign tourists of their belongings this week.
The tourists were attacked on Thursday night at their holiday house in Phalaborwa.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo declined to reveal the origin of the tourists.TimesLive reported that the group had returned to their respective countries on Friday following the incident.
Naidoo said national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole called for a massive mobilisation to track down the suspects.
A group of at least three armed men are alleged to have forcefully entered a holiday house on a plot in Siloque, Phalaborwa at approximately 20:00. The suspects held nine foreign tourists at gunpoint and robbed them of valuables which included a laptop, 10 cellphones, jewellery and a cash amount of over R5 000.
“The suspects fled the scene, using the victims rented Mercedes Benz ML which was later found abandoned in bushes next to Siloque main road, about 10km from the scene,” Naidoo said.
He said Sitole was briefed by the provincial commissioner of Limpopo, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba, who has mobilised the 72-hour Activation Plan by assembling a team of investigators to track down the suspects and bring them to book.
Earlier this month, the Department of Police and Department of Tourism entered into a Memorandum of Understanding between the two departments to decisively deal with crime against tourists, both foreign and domestic.
Police have appealed to anyone with information to come forward.