Johannesburg - The head of a syndicate has been apprehended by police for alleged involvement in the theft of fuel and damage to essential pipeline infrastructure which forms part of a national key point.
The suspected criminal kingpin was caught by a multi-disciplinary team led by the Free State Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation team together with Bidvest Protea Coin Security, Gauteng Traffic Department Saturation Unit on Wednesday in Tshwane, according to a SAPS statement.
“This follows further investigation into the arrest of two suspects aged between 35 and 41 on Saturday, October 16, 2022 for theft of fuel and tampering with the Transnet national pipeline in Vrede, Free State and were arrested on delivering the stolen fuel in Kromdraai, Witbank.
The duo, Mauro Aurelia Langa, 41, and Solly Khoza, 35, appeared in the Vrede Magistrate’s Court yesterday and are expected to be back in court on October 24.
“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,” read the statement.
The alleged kingpin will appear in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court tomorrow and will later appear in Vrede with other suspects.
It is now in the public domain that almost 8.5 million litres of fuel, valued at approximately R102 million, had been stolen from national Transnet pipes in the last year.
“A total of 46 suspects were arrested in the last three months owing to the multi-disciplinary approach operations which prove to be a success. With the latest additional three arrests linked to this incident, a total 49 suspects have been arrested in the country,” said SAPS.