A multidisciplinary team comprising the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, Limpopo Crime Intelligence, Mankweng SAPS Tracing Team and the Westenburg SAPS detectives has taken into custody a 31 year old suspect for a police murder.
The suspect who is expected to appear at the Seshego Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 28 January 2019, was sought for the murder of Sergeant Pieter de Lange (30) from Westenburg SAPS.
During the suspect’s arrest at his home in Seshego on Friday evening, 25 January 2019, members confiscated an unlicensed firearm and a suspected stolen motor vehicle.
De Lange was gunned down in November 2018, during an encounter with suspected drug dealers who were travelling in two vehicles at the notorious crime hotspot in Ladanna, Polokwane.
On that fateful day, De Lange was on duty doing observations with regard to drug dealings in the area when he was gunned down whilst fighting back. He died on the way to hospital.
Police investigation started in earnest and the team recovered a stolen BMW not far from the crime scene, believed to have been used by assailants the same day.
After two months of labouring, a suspect will be charged with murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm when he appears in court. The search for the other outstanding criminals is still ongoing.
In a separate case, the same integrated team added three other suspects for a series of armed robberies.
The trio aged between 32 and 40 who are believed to be part of a syndicate behind a spate of armed robberies in Groblersdal were put behind bars on Friday evening.
One of the suspects was picked up in Mankweng and two were arrested in Botlokwa where an unlicensed firearm was also recovered from one of them.
The three suspects are expected to appear at Mankweng and Morebeng Magistrate Courts respectively and will face charges relating to armed robberies and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
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