Cape Town – In a significant blow to organised crime, the leader of the notorious Fancy Boys gang was apprehended during an intelligence-driven operation at his lavish Durbanville residence on Wednesday morning.
The operation, conducted by police members attached to provincial and Mitchells Plain detectives, resulted in the arrest of the gang leader along with three of his associates, who are currently in custody. The suspects, aged between 25 and 43, are expected to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrates Court.
According to a source within the Daily Voice, the arrested gang boss is believed to be the mastermind behind a series of hostile takeovers in various communities across the Cape Flats, including Lentegeur, Heideveld, Manenberg, and others.
"He is the dik ding of the Fancy Boys and behind all these takeovers of turfs," the insider revealed. "The Fancies go in with a moerse klomp guns and ammo and fight existing gangs across the Flats."
The source further explained that the Fancy Boys' activities have had a devastating impact on several areas. "So far we have seen various areas being affected but mostly Lentegeur, Manenberg and Heideveld. When [Fadwaan] Vet Murphy went to mang they came on and took over the whole Dixie Boys turf in Mitchells Plain."
The informant added that the arrest was made possible after a phone was discovered linking the gang members to the main suspect. "They arrested him on a J50 warrant and his three brasse were in Pollsmoor Prison. The cops found a phone in the mang linking them [to the main suspect]."
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie provided further details about the operation, stating that it was an intelligence-driven takedown.
Pojie reports: ‘The police members converged on pre identified locations where they were briefed pertaining to the task at hand, in the early hours of Wednesday 19 March 2025. Armed with intelligence and warrants of arrest, they departed to different locations within the City of Cape Town District where they tactically approached the identified premises where the team executed the search warrants."
"After entry was denied, the members had to use force to enter the premises. They ensued with a search, resulting in the confiscation of mobile devices, laptops, and a substantial amount of cash believed to be the proceeds of crime," Pojie added.
The suspects are facing a string of serious charges, including murder, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, and contravention of the Proceeds of Organised Crime Act (POCA). The charges relate to murders perpetrated in Mitchells Plain on 26 April 2013, 5 March 2019, and 13 December 2020, as well as the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition in April 2020 in Tafelsig.
Pojie added: "The accused also face charges related to the contravention of the Proceeds of Organised Crime Act (POCA). More arrests are imminent and more murder charges might be added to those already mentioned above."
The arrest of the Fancy Boys leader comes just weeks after another high-ranking member of the gang, Marwaan "Wonky" Alexander, was apprehended during a raid on a gun storage facility in Bellville South. Alexander was caught red-handed alongside his girlfriend, Raushan De Villiers, as they arrived in a Golf 7 GTI and Alexander was allegedly busy loading guns and ammo when they were uitgevang. The couple from Labiance appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court and a week later they were joined by their 29-year-old daughter, Aqeelah.
In a separate but related incident, Craig Engelbrecht was apprehended months ago after being found in possession of drugs worth approximately R5 million in a storage unit in Philippi.
