Mpumalanga man arrested for stealing R1,4 million worth of train tracks
A 40-year-old Mpumalanga man will appear in court on Monday for allegedly being involved in the theft of almost R1.4m worth of railway tracks.
Picture for illustrattive purposes. The remains of train tracks are seen near the old Benrose Station, 10 September 2020, in Johannesburg. Picture: Michel Bega
The man was an employee of a well-known waste management and scrap metal company in Mpumalanga, said police spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi on Sunday.
Sekgotodi said the man was expected to appear before the Vosman Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The arrest came after members of the Middelburg Serious Organised Crime team, Afri Guard at Transnet, and Durban harbour police observed a group of suspects at Kromdraai who were loading stripped railway tracks onto a truck, said Sekgotodi.
“When approached, the suspects fled and two were apprehended on the spot. The third suspect fled using the company’s van. He however crashed his getaway vehicle into a wall before fleeing,” said Sekgotodi.
“Despite his attempts, he was finally arrested on Saturday at his residence in Vosman after the Hawks relentlessly followed up on information about his whereabouts.”
The man is the third person to be arrested in connection with the crime.
Thulani Rodrigo Khumalo, 33, and Dumisani David Nkosi, 38, were arrested earlier.
Khumalo and Nkosi are in custody following their second brief appearance in the Vosman Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
They are expected back in court on Wednesday for a formal bail application.
The latest suspect will make his first appearance in the same court on Monday, charged with damaging essential infrastructure, theft and possession of stolen property.
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