Seven people, including five women, are expected to appear in the Mkhuhlu Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga for the possession of suspected stolen goods.
The suspects, aged between 21 and 38, were arrested on Tuesday in Calcutta.
The provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said information was received after 7am by members of the Crime Prevention Unit about a truck that was reportedly hijacked in Marite. Officers responded to the crime scene.
“During the search and investigation, they found a truck abandoned in Mandiyane near Marite.
“Upon further inspection of the truck, they realised that it was empty and all goods worth about R800, 000 was said to have been stolen. Members also discovered that the truck had a bullet hole on the passenger’s side, with an empty cartridge found at the scene.
"The members continued with their investigation and further conducted a search at the nearby houses, and that was the time when they recovered some of the stolen items, including Cuddle Wipes, some clothing items, clothes for children, some batteries, nappies, as well as shoes," Mohlala said.
A preliminary investigation by police revealed the stolen goods were supposed to be delivered to different shops.
Mohlala said the driver later managed to go to Marite Satellite police station and open a case of armed robbery.
The driver informed police that his colleague had sustained injuries from a smashed truck window as a result of a shot that was fired.
The recovered items were seized by police for further investigation.
The suspects face charges of possession of suspected stolen property, and the possibility of more charges being added cannot be ruled out at this stage.
Mpumalanga Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, welcomed the arrests and lauded the members for their relentless efforts to ensure those who commit crimes are arrested and face the full might of the law.
"We have noticed a trend with much concern whereby delivery vehicles are targeted by perpetrators. The most worrying factor is that some community members do not see anything wrong in looting or stealing items from these hijacked cars, even when such vehicles are involved in accidents. We strongly condemn this evil practice and warn people to stop doing this because they will be arrested," Manamela said.
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