Suspect arrested after found with R80 million worth of stolen truck cargo

Free State police have nabbed a suspect after they found R80 million worth of stolen goods, that were hijacked from a truck in May, at his Bloemfontein warehouse.

The 44-year-old suspect has been charged with possession of stolen goods and is expected to appear in court soon. Police are also pursuing more arrests.

According to the police spokesperson Sgt Mahlomola Kareli, the Free State Provincial Organised Crime Unit received a tip-off about a warehouse in Bloemfontein suspected of storing stolen goods from hijacked trucks.

The unit along with the Bloemfontein Tactical Response Team and the Local Criminal Record Centre searched the warehouse in East End industrial park.

They found 1,680 boxes containing diesel engine catalytic converters, worth an estimated R80 million, packed in the warehouse.

“The 44-year-old suspect could not produce proof of ownership of the goods and was subsequently arrested,” said Kareli.

Stolen goods from hijacked truck

Further investigations revealed that the stolen goods were taken from a truck that was hijacked in May.

The cargo truck was travelling from the Eastern Cape to Gauteng when the driver was allegedly attacked by a group of unknown men after he stopped on the side of the road. 

The men were driving a bakkie when they attacked the driver after he made a stop near Venterstad, Eastern Cape.

The suspects forced the driver into the bakkie and drove towards Bloemfontein where they reportedly met with the suspect and arranged for storage.

They then gave the truck back to the driver after they emptied the cargo, and police were notified of the incident.

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