Five suspects arrested for possession of stolen vehicle in Mkhuhlu

Five suspects were arrested in Bushbuckridge on August 8 for the possession of a stolen vehicle. According to a provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the Calcutta police responded to a call from a tracking company that alerted them about a Toyota Quantum hijacked at Bushbuckridge on August 6 at about 22:45.

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“The police stopped and searched a similar vehicle with different registration plates. The search led to the recovery of a vehicle that was reported stolen in Esiphingo, KwaZulu-Natal, in January 2013. Balaclavas and hand gloves were also recovered from the vehicle,” he said. Mohlala said further investigation revealed that the vehicle was fitted with false registration plates, ones that belong to a Mahindra Pickup.

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All five suspects, Irvin Nyalungu (34), Mpho Kolela (31), Kagiso Mkhondo (29), Letlabo Mpoke (28) and Amukelani Rigane (25), were arrested for the possession of a stolen vehicle. They made a brief appearance in the Mkhuhlu Magistrate’s Court where they were remanded in custody for a bail application scheduled for August 14.

“The police further followed the tracker signal, which led them to the other vehicle that was hijacked in Bushbuckridge not far from where the first vehicle was recovered. When the vehicle was recovered, it was found already fitted with a network jamming device,” he said.

When the police arrived at the location of the stolen vehicle, an unknown number of suspects started shooting at them. The police retaliated, forcing the suspects to abandon the hijacked vehicle and flee the scene on foot.

The hijacked vehicle was recovered. It still had its original registration plates. Both vehicles were confiscated for further investigation.