Round of applause for K9 Erin and handler Sergeant Mabaso
Major General Ganasen Naidoo congratulated Erin and Sergeant Mabaso on their exceptional service and commitment to contributing to the case.
Sergeant Gaogakwe Mabaso and his Fire Detection dog, Erin, received a medal for commitment, dedication and appreciation for their service as K9 and K9 handler. Sergeant Mabaso and Erin received their medal during a weekly Operation Shanela parade on 10 May 2024 in the Westpol Square parking.
Sergeant Mabaso and Erin assisted the police in solvig a robbery, murder and arson case and were rightly rewarded for their exceptional service.
The robbery, murder and arson case took place in Tlokweng Village, Madikwe on Tuesday, 10 October 2018. At that thime, the report read that four suspects stormed Sunrise Shop, robbed the shop-owner of cash and set the shop on fire. The victim of this crime sustained serious burn-related injuries which later caused his death after being hospitalized.
Sergeant Mabaso and Erin were called in from Potchefstroom to determine the origin and cause of the fire. Erin’s nose and Sergeant Mabaso’s skillset led them to collect evidence from the scene that was then sent to a laboratory for chemical testing. After the evidence was presented in court, the four suspects were found guilty in November 2021. Each of the four accused received a life sentence for robbery, arson and murder.
The Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Support Service, Major General (Dr) Ganasen Naidoo applauded Sergeant Mabaso, Erin and other team members for the loyalty and dedication they displayed during the investigation process. Major General Naidoo said that this serves as an exemplary case and forms part of the positive results obtained when proper procedures are followed and investigative aids and resources are efficiently used during investigation processes.
