Limpopo road-spiking: Three accused abandon bail
The suspects were arrested after incidents of road-spiking along the N1 and R101 roads.
MOKOPANE – Three of four men arrested for road-spiking incidents along the R101 and N1 have abandoned their application for bail.
The accused, Paul Mudzinga (47), Brighton Becelit Chauke(51), and Percy Chauke (32) appeared in the Mokopane Magistrates court on Friday (October 1) on two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of contravention of the Immigration Act and possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Read more: Limpopo road-spiking: Faulty equipment halts court proceedings
National Prosecuting Authority Limpopo spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said that their co-accused, Tshepiso Relela (32), however continued his bail application which was denied by the court.
All four men were remanded for further investigations and are set to reappear on November 5.
The suspects were arrested after incidents of road-spiking along the N1 and R101 roads. Their ‘modus operandi’ involved placing sharp objects such as welded spikes on the road, which caused their victims to get punctures. When the victims stopped to change their tyres, the suspects would attack and rob them of their belongings at gun point.
Two of the men were arrested on September 6 when members of the Mokopane Crime Prevention Unit, aided by the Modimolle K9 and Mokopane Crime Intelligence units, various detectives and members of the private sector tracked them down along the N1 near Ysterberg. The suspects were found in the possession of spikes, a 9mm pistol and ammunition as well as a pair of pliers.
Read more: Members of N1 and R101 road-spiking gang nabbed
The remaining two suspects were arrested in Mabopane outside Pretoria the next day. A 303 rifle with a sound suppressor, a police reflector jacket, several suspected stolen items and vehicle belonging to the department of social development was recovered during the arrest,
