The vigilance of a Randfontein resident ensured the arrest of five suspects early on Thursday morning, 26 July.
Captain Appel Ernst, the Randfontein Police spokesperson, said Sergeant Twana and Constable Mazibuko responded to a complaint in Ten Acres when a resident reported something amiss with a truck being offloaded.
“They found a truck with a large cargo consisting of maize meal. Numerous bags of maize meal were however also found lying around, having apparently been offloaded from this truck,” Ernst said.
They made the necessary inquiries which lead them to a local milling company. The investigation revealed that the cargo was tampered with and that bags of maize meal were removed illegally.
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“They recovered 336 x 12,5kg bags of stolen maize meal with a retail value of R22 500 and arrested five men between the ages of 20 and 45 for the theft and the possession of the stolen goods. The goods were handed back to the lawful owners,” Ernst added.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Randfontein Magistrates’ Court soon.
Brigadier Mashole Jacob Manamela, the Randfontein Police station commander, applauded both the vigilant resident for reporting the information and the members who worked tirelessly to investigate the matter thoroughly.
“We are proud to have residents and members of the police who walk the extra mile in addressing crime, ” Manamela said.
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