Mpumalanga police bust R6m hijacked truck, arrest Mozambican suspect

Mpumalanga police, in collaboration with the Ehlanzeni Anti-Hijacking Task Team and Ngodwana Saps officers, successfully intercepted a hijacked truck carrying stolen power transformers. The operation resulted in the arrest of a 34-year-old Mozambican national and the recovery of power transformers valued at over R6 million. The arrest took place on Tuesday at around 1pm.

Intelligence Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane revealed that the task team had received intelligence about the hijacked truck, traveling on the Schoemanskloof Road towards Nelspruit. The truck was intercepted and the suspect was arrested for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle and stolen property. The truck was reportedly stolen in Gauteng, and the seized transformers were also identified as stolen.

Police are now working with the Department of Home Affairs to determine the suspect's legal status. He is expected to appear in Nelspruit Magistrate's Court soon. Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise, the Provincial Commissioner of the Saps in Mpumalanga, commended the swift action of the task team and urged the police, along with other law enforcement agencies, to continue their efforts in preventing and combating criminal activities in the province.

In a separate development, the South African police captured a fugitive murder suspect, Simiso Silomo Phakathi, within hours after releasing his image to the public. The 27-year-old, wanted for the murder of his girlfriend in Soweto, was apprehended in Joubertina, Klerksdorp, following a tip-off from the community and media. Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane praised the rapid response, emphasizing the power of collective vigilance in bringing perpetrators of gender-based violence to justice.