NELSPRUIT – Three suspects aged between 33 and 40 were arrested in separate incidents for carjacking, kidnapping, murder, house robbery, business robbery, as well as possession of unlicensed firearm with ammunition and they could possibly be linked to stock thefts and business robberies.

In the first incident, a 33-year-old and 40-year-old suspects were arrested on Friday, 09 September 2022 at about 23:00, after police in Siyabuswa received information about a white Isuzu bakkie which was reported stolen in Giyani.

Police acted swiftly and closed in on possible escape routes and spotted the suspected stolen vehicle next to Moutsiya Mall (in Siyabuswa area) with two occupants.

Suspicions are that the suspects were from Giyani (in Limpopo Province) and were heading to Mamelodi (in Gauteng Province).

Police then stopped and searched the vehicle which matched the description of the stolen vehicle. A firearm with ammunition were recovered and further investigation revealed that the vehicle was hijacked where a case was opened at Letsitele SAPS near Giyani. Additional charges of kidnapping as well as murder (of a 40-year-old victim) were opened and are linked to the hijacking incident.

In a separate incident, Siyabuswa police were doing their routine patrol duties on Saturday, 10 September 2022, at about 08:00am when they noticed a suspicious white Toyota pickup with bullet holes visible on the passenger door and rear window.

When police approached the vehicle, the driver sped off. Police pursued him until he was cornered on the road towards Waterval and Ga Mmakola. When the suspect, aged 35, was searched, a live round of ammunition was found. Further investigation led police to Toitskraal (in Siyabuswa) where they recovered a silver grey VW Polo Vivo which was reported stolen in September this year (2022) during a house robbery incident in Troya (Vaalbank).

The suspect was arrested for possession of live ammunition and could possibly be linked to other cases including, stock theft, business robberies and burglaries around Siyabuswa and Vaalbank as the Toyota pickup is suspected to have been used in the commission of such crimes prior to his arrest.

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela welcomed the arrests and recovery of the vehicles, firearm and ammunition. The General unreservedly applauded the commitment displayed by the members.

Source: South African Police Service