A Tshwane Metro Police officer and two others were arrested in Mpumalanga for allegedly plotting to hijack a truck.
- An off-duty Tshwane Metro Police officer was arrested in Mpumalanga for allegedly conspiring with two other people to hijack a loaded truck.
- The officer was wearing his uniform at the time of his arrest.
- One of his alleged accomplices wore a police uniform which he admitted to having borrowed from the cop.
Mpumalanga police arrested a Tshwane Metro Police officer for allegedly conspiring with two other people to hijack a loaded truck in Middleburg.
One of the alleged accomplices was wearing a police uniform he allegedly borrowed from the metro cop.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said patrolling Flying Squad officers arrested the officer and two accomplices on Wednesday on the N4 between Petroport and the Arbor off-ramp.
Mohlala said the three were driving a white Toyota Corolla fitted with Gauteng registration plates at the time of the arrest. The vehicle had been reported stolen in Daveyton, Gauteng.
He said the vehicle had been parked at a “strategic position”.
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Inside the car, police recovered “two network jamming devices [as well as] eight-channel and 20-channel jammers”, Mohlala said.
He said the officer, who had a side firearm, introduced himself as a constable from the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) and instructed his two accomplices to alight the vehicle.
One wore a police uniform despite not being a member of the police service and told the patrolling officers that he borrowed the uniform from the metro officer, Mohlala said.
He said the third suspect wore civilian clothing and carried a gun whose licence or permit he did not have.
Mohlala said the motive of conspiring to hijack the truck became apparent to the patrolling officers when another vehicle parked in the area fled when they approached.
Mohlala said:
The trio were arrested and charged with possession of unlicenced firearms and ammunition, possession of jamming network devices, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and impersonating police officials.
They are expected to appear in the Emalahleni Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Mpumalanga police commissioner Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela welcomed the arrests.
She expressed disappointment at the officer for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to commit a crime.
“It is frustrating when some of our security cluster members are working against us. It is unacceptable that a metro police member could leave his municipality jurisdiction and cross the provincial border to commit a crime in Mpumalanga,” she said.
TMPD spokesperson Isaac Mahamba said the officer was off duty at the time of his arrest.
“Yes, we are aware of this arrest and we can confirm that he is our member. However, when this incident happened, he was off duty. We are waiting for more information from the SA Police Service, [following which the department] will be able to determine a way forward internally.”