A Mozambican national has been arrested after police intercepted a stolen truck ferrying power transformers worth more than R6 million along Mpumalanga’s busy Schoemanskloof Road.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said officers received intelligence about a hijacked truck carrying suspected stolen power transformers.
The truck was travelling towards Mbombela on Tuesday when police, together with the Ehlanzeni Anti-Hijacking Task Team, mobilised to intercept it, arresting a 34-year-old Mozambican national whose legal status in the country is yet to be determined.
“The police operationalised the information, and the said truck was spotted and tactically intercepted. Preliminary investigation revealed that the truck was reportedly stolen at Devon in Gauteng. Further search led to the discovery of the reportedly stolen power transformers,” Ndubane said.
Police valued the recovered electrical equipment at more than R6 million.
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The discovery has left investigators dealing with two suspected crimes involving a stolen heavy vehicle and the multimillion-rand electrical equipment it was transporting.
“It was during this period when the suspect was placed under arrest and then charged for possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle as well as for possession of suspected stolen property,” Ndubane said.
Police have not disclosed how many transformers were recovered, where they were allegedly stolen or their intended destination.
They have also not indicated whether the transformers had been removed from operational electricity infrastructure or stolen while being transported or stored.
Investigators are working with the Department of Home Affairs to establish the immigration status of the arrested man.
The man is expected to appear before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court soon.
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Mpumalanga provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise praised the Ehlanzeni Anti-Hijacking Task Team and Ngodwana police for their swift response.
Modise also warned that police would maintain pressure on criminal activity in the province.
“Police, together with other law enforcement agencies, will continue to prevent and combat criminal activities in the province,” she said.
Police have not indicated whether they believe the arrested driver acted alone or whether investigators are pursuing other suspects.
The interception could now provide investigators with a trail to establish how transformers worth more than R6 million ended up aboard a truck reported stolen hundreds of kilometres away in Gauteng.
- A 34-year-old Mozambican national was arrested after police intercepted a stolen truck carrying power transformers worth over R6 million on Schoemanskloof Road in Mpumalanga.
- The truck was reportedly stolen in Devon, Gauteng, and was traveling towards Mbombela when intercepted by police and the Ehlanzeni Anti-Hijacking Task Team.
- The arrested man faces charges for possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle and possession of suspected stolen property.
- Police have not disclosed the number of transformers recovered, their theft location, or whether they were stolen from electricity infrastructure or during transit.
- Investigators are working with the Department of Home Affairs to verify the immigration status of the suspect, who is due to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court soon.
