An alleged kingpin involved in a syndicate that has been stealing Transnet fuel and damaging the parastatal’s pipelines has been arrested.
The 35-year-old man was nabbed by the Hawks in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Transnet fuel syndicate
He was arrested by a multi-disciplinary team led by the Free State Hawks, working together with Bidvest Protea Coin Security and Gauteng Traffic Police.
Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase, said almost 8.5 million litres of fuel, valued at approximately R102 million, has been stolen from national Transnet pipes since last year.
Nkwalase said Transnet’s essential infrastructure forms part of the national key points.
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The suspected kingpin was caught on Wednesday after further investigations into the arrest of two suspects, aged between 35 and 41, on Saturday for theft of fuel and tampering with the Transnet national pipeline in Vrede, Free State.
The duo, Mauro Aurelia Langa and Solly Khoza, was arrested while they were delivering the stolen fuel in Kromdraai, Witbank. They appeared in the Vrede Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and were due be back in court on 24 October 2022.
“They were arrested by a multi-disciplinary team comprised of the Hawks’ Non-Ferrous Metals, Tactical Operations Management Section with Secunda and Middelburg based Serious Organised Crime Investigation assisted by Bidvest Protea Coin, Ekurhuleni District Operational Task Team, Badboyz Security and South African Revenue Services (Sars).
“Police seized the tanker with fuel which was involved in Saturday’s incident,” Nkwalase said in a statement.
The alleged kingpin was expected to appear in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and would later appear in Vrede with the other suspects.
Nkwalase said a total of 46 suspects were arrested in the last three months owing to the multi-disciplinary approach operations which proved to be a success.
“With the latest additional three arrests linked to this incident, a total 49 suspects have been arrested in the country.”
Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe
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