Nelspruit: The law enforcement team in Mpumalanga has helped dismantle an alleged hijacking syndicate thereby arresting five suspects aged between 16 and 48. Suspected stolen trailers as well as some consignments were confiscated during a sting operation which was conducted between Monday, 12 September 2022 around 17:00 and early hours of this morning around 02:00 at Kwamhlanga.
According to the report, a team consisting of Kraftt Solutions Hi Risk Unit, Tracker Connect, Kwamhlanga Vehicle Investigation Section (VIS), Dennilton K9 Unit (Limpopo), Kwamhlanga K9 Unit as well as members from Kwamhlanga Visible Policing carried out a sting operation subsequent to an alert by a vehicle tracking company. The information received was about a trailer which was reportedly stolen on Friday, 09 September 2022. Details further outlined that the truck trailer was kept somewhere at Empumelelweni Section in Kwamhlanga.
The team is said to have then mobilized their resources and followed the information which led them to certain premises. Upon arrival, the members found five people and came across a shocking discovery of what looks like a big workshop with a number of suspected stolen trailers as well as other items which include two blue Taute Liner Superlink trailers. The trailers were loaded with Aqueous cream body lotions, and information suggests that the trailers were hijacked in Boksburg North on Friday, 09 September 2022. The team also discovered that the horse had already been unhooked from the trailers and could not be located.
The team further found two containers allegedly stolen during business robberies at City Deep in Cleveland and Heidelberg respectively, 2 truck trailers of which, one Frontliner horse was still hooked to 2-side dipper trailers. It was also established that the vehicle engine numbers were tampered with. They further found an 8-ton Man truck which was loaded with the Aqueous cream body lotions suspected to have been stolen from the recovered hijacked truck/trailers, 2 empty drop side trailers, 5 empty flatbed trailers of which one was half loaded with oranges. The team also realised that some of these recovered items have already been tampered with.
Preliminary investigation has thus far revealed that two of the arrested suspects are from Mozambique whilst three are from Zimbabwe. Police are working in collaboration with the department of Home Affairs to ascertain their status in the country. Should it be found that they do not possess legal documentation to be in South Africa, further charges with regard to contravention of the Immigration Act will be added.
The five suspects are expected to appear at the Kwamhlanga Magistrates’ Court soon facing charges of being found in possession of suspected stolen properties and they could possibly be linked with a number of hijacking incidents as well as robberies and kidnapping incidents.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has commended the exceptional success achieved by the collaborative team. “Criminals should think twice before they can come to the province and run their show. We will continue to disrupt their activities and we urge the public to inform us if they have information about similar activities” said the General.
Source: South African Police Service
