The Mpumalanga SAPS have shown their commitment to upholding the law, even when those involved are fellow officers.

In the early hours of Friday, October 10, Lydenburg police arrested four Limpopo SAPS members, aged 34 to 41, and a 29-year-old civilian in the CBD in connection with a house robbery.

At around 23:50 on Thursday, October 9, the men and women in blue responded swiftly to reports of a house robbery in progress at a residence in Lydenburg (Mashishing).

It is alleged that the victims, Ethiopian nationals, were asleep when a group of armed suspects attacked them,” said the Mpumalanga SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdluli.

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Mdluli said the suspects were reportedly using three vehicles: a grey double-cab Toyota bakkie with Limpopo registration plates, a private vehicle with an unknown registration number, and a marked SAPS VW Golf GTI confirmed to belong to the Polokwane Flying Squad.

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The Mpumalanga SAPS have shown their commitment to upholding the law, even when those involved are fellow officers. In the early hours of Friday, October 10, Lydenburg police arrested four Limpopo SAPS members, aged 34 to 41, and a 29-year-old civilian in the CBD in connection with a house robbery. At around 23:50 on Thursday, October 9, the men and women in blue responded swiftly to reports of a house robbery in progress at a residence in Lydenburg (Mashishing). It is alleged that the victims, Ethiopian nationals, were asleep when a group of armed suspects attacked them,” said the Mpumalanga SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdluli. Mdluli said the suspects were reportedly using three vehicles: a grey double-cab Toyota bakkie with Limpopo registration plates, a private vehicle with an unknown registration number, and a marked SAPS VW Golf GTI confirmed to belong to the Polokwane Flying Squad. According to the SAPS, the private vehicle is either a Suzuki Ertiga or a Toyota Avanza/Rumion. “It reportedly fled the scene carrying multiple boxes of suspected illicit cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash,” said the Mpumalanga SAPS in a statement. At the scene, four SAPS members – three men and one woman, all attached to various Limpopo SAPS units – were arrested, along with a civilian suspect. Both the marked police vehicle and the Toyota bakkie were also seized. “Further investigation at the scene led to the seizure of boxes of illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of about R1.5m, as well as R950 000 in cash. Police also discovered that the registration plates on the seized vehicles had been tampered with using black Sellotape, presumably to conceal their identities. Ammunition was also recovered at the scene,” added Mdluli. He said two of the arrested police officers were found in possession of their official service firearms, which have since been confiscated. All five suspects remain in custody as investigations continue and are expected to appear in the Mashishing Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 13, facing charges of house robbery. Police added that additional charges may be filed as the investigation unfolds. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Unit will carry on with the investigation. Acting provincial police commissioner, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, has welcomed the arrests and reaffirmed the SAPS’s commitment to rooting out criminal elements, regardless of their rank or affiliation. “No one is above the law. We will not tolerate any form of criminality within our ranks. The swift arrest of these individuals demonstrates our zero-tolerance approach to corruption and criminal behaviour,” said Mkhwanazi. caption? Four Limpopo SAPS members and a civilian accomplice were arrested in Lydenburg on October 10. #corruption #southafricatiktok🇿🇦 #police #lydenburg #limpopo

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According to the SAPS, the private vehicle is either a Suzuki Ertiga or a Toyota Avanza/Rumion.

“It reportedly fled the scene carrying multiple boxes of suspected illicit cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash,” said the Mpumalanga SAPS in a statement.

At the scene, four SAPS members – three men and one woman, all attached to various Limpopo SAPS units – were arrested, along with a civilian suspect.

Both the marked police vehicle and the Toyota bakkie were also seized.

“Further investigation at the scene led to the seizure of boxes of illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of about R1.5m, as well as R950 000 in cash. Police also discovered that the registration plates on the seized vehicles had been tampered with using black Sellotape, presumably to conceal their identities. Ammunition was also recovered at the scene,” added Mdluli.

He said two of the arrested police officers were found in possession of their official service firearms, which have since been confiscated.

All five suspects remain in custody as investigations continue and are expected to appear in the Mashishing Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 13, facing charges of house robbery.

Police added that additional charges may be filed as the investigation unfolds. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Unit will carry on with the investigation.

Acting provincial police commissioner, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, has welcomed the arrests and reaffirmed the SAPS’s commitment to rooting out criminal elements, regardless of their rank or affiliation.

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“No one is above the law. We will not tolerate any form of criminality within our ranks. The swift arrest of these individuals demonstrates our zero-tolerance approach to corruption and criminal behaviour,” said Mkhwanazi.