Photo for illustrative purposes.
Police say six men allegedly armed with firearms entered a mine in Breyten on Monday morning. They approached two security guards informing them that they wanted to buy diesel.
Other employees who were on duty got suspicious about the proposed transaction and contacted the police, Mpumalanga News reports.
ALSO READ: Limpopo petrol station robbery gang dismantled
“When police arrived at the scene, the suspects ran away. However, one of them was arrested and the others managed to escape, leaving behind two bakkies and a tanker. It was discovered that the suspects have already drained about 6 000 litres of diesel, which was left at the scene in one of their trucks,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.
Hlathi said further investigation led police to two other suspects, a man and woman, at the entrance of the mine, who are suspected to be linked to the case and were arrested.
“All three suspects are due to appear briefly before the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday,” said Hlathi.
Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining five suspects is urged to contact Detective Sergeant Alfred Khanye on 072 862 3662 or to call the SAPS Crime Line on 08600 10111.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.