Members of Heilbron SAPS put a 27-year-old prison warder, her boyfriend (30) and their male friend (28) behind bars on Wednesday, 9 March, after finding suspected stolen furniture in their possession. An investigation led to an address, where the police found and confiscated two couches, suspected to be stolen, Capt. Malebo Khosana, spokesperson for the police in the Fezile Dabi District said.

According to Khosana, the police also apprehended a 28-year-old male and then visited the address of the woman’s boy-friend, where they found more furniture. The items included a fridge, washing machine, double bed (base and mattress), a three-quarter bed and headboard, and a Samsung Plasma TV.

After the arrests, the police linked the items to a business burglary at Lewis Stores in January. The complaint was that the warehouse storing furniture had been broken into and items valued at around R64,000 had been stolen

The members, led by Heilbron SAPS’s station commander, Lt-Col Mosiuoa Mokhethi, followed up on a tip-off about the stolen furniture. At the first address, the abode of a female prison warder, they found a fridge, a double bed (base and mattress) and a washing machine. When questioned about these items, she said she had bought them from someone. The police confiscated the items and arrested her. The store representative identified the items as theirs, Khosana said.

The trio appeared in the Heilbron Magistrate Court on 11 March.