The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has thanked members of the SAPS at Kriel for their hardwork which paid off as five male suspects were arrested and recovered three firearms. The suspects were nabbed at Kriel on Tuesday 29 March 2022 around 23:30.
Police report indicates that members at Kriel were patrolling at the time when they received information from their counterparts at Leslie SAPS about a suspicious white Toyota bakkie without registration number plates.
The members were on a lookout and they spotted the said bakkie with five occupants at the R580 Road. A search was then conducted by the members subsequent to the vehicle being stopped. During the search, three pistols were discovered with other items seized by the members, which include a bolt cutter as well as some cable wires.
As police members began arresting them, the suspects are said to have resisted the arrest, thereby trying to fight back however the five suspects were finally arrested and charged accordingly.
The firearms will be taken for ballistic tasting as part of the investigation to determine whether they were not used in the commission of crime elsewhere. Hence police cannot rule out the possibility of linking the suspects to other crimes committed elsewhere.
Meanwhile the bakkie was also confiscated for further investigation.
The five suspects, aged between 21 and 37 are due to appear in the Kriel Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 31 March 2022 facing charges of being in possession of unlicensed firearms, possession of suspected house breaking implements and resisting arrest.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela was also delighted that during the arrest, firearms were confiscated. “We are making a noticeable progress in the recovery of firearms and we will not be weary but we shall keep on doing this for the safety of our communities” assured the General.
