Three  suspects, aged between 30 and 43, are set to appear in Delmas Magistrate’s Court today, 27 November 2024, after their arrest for the possession of a reportedly stolen vehicle and three unlicensed firearms. The arrests follow a house robbery in Hazyview on the morning of 25 November 2024.

The trio were apprehended by members of the Middleburg Flying Squad at a filling station on the N12 freeway in Delmas. They were found with the Toyota Quantum vehicle, which was stolen during the robbery, along with three firearms that had their serial numbers filed off, and ammunition. Additionally, eleven cellphones were recovered from the suspects.

The police had received a tip-off from a tracking company regarding the vehicle’s signal, prompting a tactical approach to the identified vehicle. The suspects could not provide valid firearm licenses or ownership proof for the vehicle and cellphones, raising suspicion.

The investigation revealed that the vehicle matched the description of one stolen during a robbery earlier that day in Hazyview. The robbers had attacked a family at approximately 02:00, stealing two cellphones, a laptop, and eventually driving off in the Toyota Quantum after one of the suspects raped the woman while her husband was held at gunpoint.

The suspects face charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, unlicensed firearms, and suspected stolen property, with further charges possible as the investigation continues. Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, Acting Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, praised the tracking company and the swift response of the police. “We cannot allow a situation where community members are attacked in their own homes, which are meant to be their safest spaces,” he said. “We trust the investigation team will work diligently to ensure justice is served