Police arrest five after South Africa airport heist

JOHANNESBURG - South African police have arrested five people in connection with a heist that saw gunmen seize bundles of cash that were being offloaded from an aircraft at Johannesburg's main airport.

Police said four men and one woman, including three employees of management firm Airports Company South Africa, had been arrested following Saturday's robbery, which local media said involved cash worth at least US$16.5 million ($27.71 million).

"The detectives recovered an undisclosed amount of money, two rifles, a pistol, a bolt cutter, magazines and ammunition," a police statement said, adding that two of those arrested were foreigners who were caught at South Africa's main border crossing into Zimbabwe.

The daring airport robbery was a new shock for crime-weary South Africa and spurred calls for increased security at Johannesburg International Airport, the country's main entry point for foreigners.

Police earlier said six to eight men armed with automatic rifles held up police and guards carrying money bags from a South African Airways plane after it arrived from London's Heathrow airport on Saturday morning.

No passengers were in danger since they had all left the aircraft before the robbery occurred, South African Airways said in a statement.

Police said the suspects faced possible charges of armed robbery and contravening South Africa's aviation laws, and said further arrests were possible.

- REUTERS