Five suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Piet Pretorius, a 59-year-old Mpumalanga police officer and commander of the Vehicle Identification Unit in Ermelo.

Pretorius was fatally shot on 16 January afternoon around 2 PM. Following the attack, a 72-hour plan was activated to track the perpetrators.

Within less than 24 hours, a multi-disci`plinary team comprising police units, private security companies, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS), detectives, and intelligence operatives successfully traced and arrested the suspects in Nelspruit.

The suspects, aged between 29 and 40, were apprehended alongside the discovery of a burnt car shell believed to have been their getaway vehicle.

Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, a provincial police spokesperson, reaffirmed the Acting Provincial Commissioner’s commitment to bringing the culprits to justice. “No stone will be left unturned in finding these police killers,” he stated.

The suspects are set to appear in court soon, facing charges related to the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Pretorius.