A search operation executed at the smallholding plot belonging to a 35-year-old alleged kingpin allegedly involved in the syndicate syphoning fuel from the Transnet pipeline resulted in a seizure of five luxury vehicles.
The luxury vehicles seized include a black Jeep SRT 8 SUV, a black Mercedes Benz Viano minibus, a white Toyota Land Cruiser ldv, black Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, and a Silver Jeep V8 SUV. The value of these vehicles has not yet been established. Other items that were seized include five cell phones, documents, illegal firearms and ammunition, and an undisclosed cash amount.
The search operation followed his arrest in Pretoria on Wednesday morning and continued until the break of dawn on Thursday, processing the exhibits or assets suspected to be the proceeds of the crime. The suspect will subsequently appear in Vrede Magistrates court on Friday, 21 October 2022, owing to the volume of work to make the docket court ready.
Furthermore, a second tanker which was allegedly seen in his premise over the weekend when his alleged accomplices were arrested has now been linked to a new incident of damage to the Transnet pipeline in Silverton, Pretoria this morning. The suspects fled the scene before arrest and the tanker was seized for further investigation.
The case against five illegal immigrants arrested at his homestead was referred to the local detectives for further probe.
The arrest of the trio brings to a total of 49 suspects arrested in the space of three months since the involvement of Bidvest Protea Coin Security. However, there have been two hundred and ten (210) suspects arrested since December 2019 through the collaborative work between the police and Transnet officials. We have also secured the conviction of ten (10) suspects through this collaboration of the police with Transnet.
The alleged kingpin will be facing the main charge of damage to essential infrastructure and theft of fuel when he appears in Vrede court on Friday. The Priority Crime Specialised Investigation (PCSI) of the Hawks in Free State has now been activated to begin their probe into the assets belonging to the alleged kingpin, suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
Five luxury vehicles seized in a operation at a smallholding plot belonging to a 35-year-old alleged kingpin https://t.co/5Oy6Auor1Q#ArriveAlive #Kingpin #Fuel #TransnetPipeline #Hawks pic.twitter.com/CwEv6iNWzN
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) October 21, 2022
