Two women who allegedly drugged and then robbed pensioners have been released on bail after 58 days in custody.
Indrani Moodley, 47, from Phoenix and Roshendree Reddy, 39, from Chatsworth, appeared for bail in Verulam Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
They have been charged with theft and robbery.
They were granted bail of R5 000 and R10 000 respectively.
The women were arrested on November 11 by members of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) after they allegedly laced a 75-year-old Riet River pensioner’s tea with a drug that made him sleep.
He woke up several hours later and found that his home had been ransacked and cash, cellphones, easternwear, branded shoes and other valuables were missing.
The suspects wore face masks to conceal their identity, but were nabbed by Rusa after they were tracked through CCTV footage which captured them entering and leaving the area.
They spent 58 days in prison until their bail hearing concluded.
According to Rusa head, Prem Balram, the women have a history of drugging and robbing elderly victims at different locations in KwaZulu Natal.
“Both have pending house robbery cases and Reddy was convicted on a similar charge, where she compensated the victim by paying back R2 million. She was handed a 10 year prison sentence wholly suspended for five years. Her co-accused in that matter is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence,” he said.
They have also been linked to three other cases of robbery and theft.
“We first arrested Reddy from her home in Montford in Chatsworth, where she held onto her minor son for over an hour to avoid being arrested. Moodley was then tracked to her home in Sunford in Phoenix, and she was intoxicated at the time of her arrest,” Balram added.
After the women appeared in court on December 13, a teenager related to Moodley and his neighbour were arrested after they threatened to shoot the investigating officer, who opposed bail against two women.