Five alleged Zamdela fuel thieves abandon bail application
The five men who were allegedly caught red-handed extracting oil from the underground valve into one of the truck and trailer have abandoned their bail application.
Four Malawian nationals and one Zimbabwean National, Norman Tsvito (44), Cliff Sheriff Mtantho (33), Beckham Mtantho (24), Lloyd Joseph Mjogo (51), George Kathumba (52), appeared in the Sasolburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 12 August 2020 for theft of oil from a Transnet fuel pipeline.
Police office spokesperson Warrant Officer Lynda Steyn said the group was arrested on Saturday, 01 August 2020 after Transnet received a pressure drop alert from the fuel pipeline near Taaibos Farm district in Zamdela, Sasolburg.
“The security guards together with members of the Sasolburg Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation responded to the complaint and found two trucks with trailers on the crime scene.”
The trucks, two generators and eight cell phones were seized on the crime scene for further investigation.
The watertight case presented by the investigators has led the group abandoning their bail application bid. The case has been postponed to 13 October 2020, for further investigation whilst they remain in custody.
