Pretoria -- Limpopo police spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said.“ Police in Marble Hall attending to a scene of culpable homicide in which a truck had overturned on the road between Marble Hall and Elandskraal on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at about 12:40pm, discovered that the truck was fully loaded with boxes of illicit cigarettes,”
The driver of the truck, who had died during the accident, was left on the scene.
Police were alerted about the crash by a concerned motorist who was driving behind the heavy truck from Marble Hall towards Elandskraal.
The driver of the truck had allegedly lost control and it overturned.
“The initial probe conducted at the scene indicated that the motorist (who was driving behind the truck) then stopped to assist the driver who was trapped inside the cabin and the critically-injured passenger.
“(A) further probe revealed that while police and medical emergency services were still on the way to the scene, unknown suspects driving in a sedan motor vehicle arrived and pointed (at) the Good Samaritan with firearms. The suspects then forcibly removed the critically-injured passenger from the truck and put him into their vehicle and sped off,” said Mojapelo.
The driver of the truck, whose identity is not yet known, was certified dead on the scene by the paramedics when they arrived.
At the crash scene, police confiscated about 300 boxes containing illicit cigarettes.
A case of culpable homicide and possession of illicit cigarettes was opened and police in Limpopo are searching for the armed people who whisked away the injured passenger.
“Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these suspects should urgently contact the police on the toll-free crime stop number 08600 10111 (or) contact the nearest police station or use My SAPS App,” said Mojapelo.
Earlier this week, in another incident in Limpopo, six people who were found off-loading R12m worth of illicit cigarettes from LP gas tankers, made their first appearance in court.
Police said the suspects, who are foreign nationals, were arrested in Marble Hall on Friday night.
At the time, Col Malesela Ledwaba said the six suspects were found loading illicit cigarettes from a gas tanker into the two cargo trucks at Toitskraal outside Marble Hall.
“According to the information, the suspects parked the tanker and two cargo trucks at one of the farms in Toitskraal.
“The police responded swiftly and managed to apprehend the suspects. It is further alleged that the gas tanker was from Musina and was being escorted by a white Toyota Auris while the two cargo trucks were reportedly from Gauteng.”
Ledwaba said the cigarettes and the vehicles were confiscated by police.
The suspects face charges of charges of possession of suspected stolen goods and smuggling of illicit cigarettes.
They were remanded in custody and expected to apply for bail on February 6.
IOL