NELSPRUIT - The alleged housebreaking kingpin and his six accomplices are expected to appear before the Mbibana Magistrate's Court today. The 45-year-old leader of an alleged gang which has been terrorizing local residents was found at his hideout after police rounded up six of his members at his residence at Mmametlhake yesterday, Wednesday 17 August 2022.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspects, aged between 28 and 48 used to target schools and foreign nationals' businesses.

A number of suspected stolen propery that include five different types of household electrical appliances, three music systems, seven laptops, grinders and eight live ammunition in addition to four pieces of the local security company's uniform of which the kingpin is believed to have been previously employed at.

The recovered items are estimated at about R150 000.

When appearing in court, all suspects will be facing possession of suspected stolen property charge, possession of ammunition and more charges might be added as a carcass of a hyena was also found in the house.

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has hailed the arrest made. "We are soldiering on to bring the province to a stage where criminals will find it hard to commit crime and we are in a process to dismantle all groupings of criminal syndicates focusing mostly on those areas where these kinds of gangs terrorize communities. This arrest is a clear indication that our strategy is effective" said the General.

Source: South African Police Service