Police arrested a 33-year-old armed man following a high-speed pursuit in Middelburg in the early hours of yesterday (August 6).

Members of the Middelburg K9 unit and anti-hijacking team nabbed the suspect on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and suspected stolen property.

According to police spokesperson Sergeant Thulisile Magagula, additional charges, including burglary and theft, are expected as the investigation progresses.

Police dog tracks fleeing suspect

The incident began at about 03:15, while officers were conducting routine patrols along Walter Sisulu Street towards Kanonkop and Doornkop.

Magagula said police spotted a heavily loaded white Nissan NP1400 bakkie with Mpumalanga registration plates that allegedly skipped a red light at the intersection of Walter Sisulu and Protea streets.

She added that the assorted items in the rear of the bakkie raised officers’ suspicion.

“Officers pulled the vehicle over to conduct a search. As soon as the bakkie stopped, all three men inside jumped out and ran into an open field. Police noticed one of the fleeing men was holding a gun,” said Magagula.

Magagula added that police instructed the suspect to drop the weapon, but he failed to comply. “Officers deployed a police dog, which successfully tracked and helped arrest the armed suspect,” Magagula said.

“The man suffered minor injuries to his lower right arm during the capture and was taken to a local medical facility for treatment. The two other men who fled the scene remain at large, and police are actively searching for them.”

Seized goods linked to farm burglary

Police said early investigation details point to a recent farm burglary along the Stoffberg road as the origin of the seized bakkie and goods.

The owner of the farm has been asked to visit the station and identify the property.

The 33-year-old suspect is scheduled to appear before the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court today (August 7).

At the time of publishing, details of the court outcome were unknown.