A 35-year-old kingpin has been nabbed for his alleged involvement in a syndicate linked to the theft of fuel and damage to essential infrastructure which forms part of a national key point.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase said a multidisciplinary team, led by the Free State Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, together with Bidvest Protea Coin Security and the Gauteng Traffic Department Saturation Unit, had swooped on the suspect in Pretoria on Wednesday.
“This follows further investigation into the arrest of two suspects aged between 35 and 41 on Saturday, October 16 for theft of fuel and tampering with the Transnet national pipeline in Vrede, Free State. They were arrested on delivering the stolen fuel in Kromdraai, Witbank,” Nkwalase said.
The duo, Mauro Aurelia Langa (41), a Mozambique national, and Solly Khoza (35), appeared in the Vrede Magistrates’ Court yesterday and are expected to be back in court on October 24.
"They were arrested by a multidisciplinary team comprised of the Hawks’ Non-Ferrous Metals Tactical Operations Management, the Secunda and Middelburg-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation (unit) assisted by Bidvest Protea Coin, Ekurhuleni District Operational Task Team, Badboyz Security, and the South African Revenue Service,” Nkwalase said.
Police seized a tanker containing fuel, which was linked to the incident, at the weekend.
The alleged kingpin is expected to appear in the Witbank Magistrates Court on Thursday and will later appear in the Vrede Magistrates Court along with the other suspects.
“Almost 8.5 million litres of fuel, valued at approximately R102 million, has been stolen from national Transnet pipes in the last year,” Nkwalase said.
He added that a total of 46 suspects had been arrested in the last three months due to the work of the multidisciplinary operations, which have proved to be a “working formula”.
“Now, with the additional three linked to this incident, we are sitting at a total of 49 suspects arrested in the country,” Nkwalase said.
Transnet Pipelines (TPL) chief executive Michelle Phillips commended the police for the latest arrest, saying that she was confident that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) would ensure justice is done.
“Since 2019, Transnet Pipelines has experienced an unprecedented increase in fuel theft incidents, which led to the organisation strengthening its security measures and action plans to address these activities, the consequences of which have been loss of volumes, environmental damage, explosions, injuries and fatalities,” Phillips said.
She added that the pipeline was classified as essential infrastructure, therefore tampering, or colluding to tamper, is a Schedule 5 offence in terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act, Act 18 of 2015.
“Transnet is confident that the NPA will ensure that the matter is brought before the courts and prosecuted to ensure a successful conviction so that a strong message is sent to would-be perpetrators,” Phillips said.
“The minimum sentence for a first offender is 15 years and the organisation trusts that the offenders will face the full might of the law. Members of the public and petroleum retailers are urged to report unregistered traders to the police,” she added.
