Mpumalanga man arrested after stolen Hilux, equipment worth R500 000 recovered

A 40-year-old mine employee is expected to appear in the eMalahleni Magistrate’s Court after police recovered a stolen Toyota Hilux and suspected stolen mining equipment valued at approximately R500 000 during an intelligence-led operation in Middelburg on Wednesday, (July 29) reports Witbank News.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo said: “A case of possession of suspected stolen property and defeating the ends of justice has been opened, and the suspect is expected to appear before the court soon.”

Vehicle tracked to truck stop

Masondo said the operation was launched after crime intelligence indicated the whereabouts of a white Toyota Hilux GD6 Single Cab that had been reported stolen in eMalahleni.
Members of the Middelburg Flying Squad, Provincial National Security, Tracker Connect and Bidvest Security responded to the information and recovered the vehicle at a truck stop in Middelburg.
Preliminary investigations identified the person who had delivered the vehicle to the yard as an employee at one of the local mines. With the assistance of a private security company, the suspect was brought to the police station for further investigation.

Keys hidden in bakkie

Masondo said investigators later found the keys to the stolen vehicle hidden inside the suspect’s red Mitsubishi bakkie at the mine, leading to his arrest.
Police then searched the suspect’s residence, where they recovered suspected stolen mine property, including gas cylinders, a starter, a hydraulic gear pump, an alternator, a wiper motor, a CAT diesel prime pump, extension cables, a CAT air-conditioning pressure pump, a trailer and a water tank.

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