The police arrested two suspects aged 38 for stock theft with an estimated street value of R100,000 between Leslie and Devon Road on N17 at Mpumalanga province on Tuesday morning.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, members of Leslie SAPS Crime Prevention Unit conducted crime prevention patrols and stop and search operations along the N17 Road when at about 04:55,they noticed a white bakkie with a canopy and Gauteng registration number driving towards Devon. The suspects were stopped and police requested to search their vehicle.
"Upon searching the vehicle, the police found slaughtered cattle, five carcasses, for which the driver could not give a valid explanation why they were in possession of the meat.
The two men were arrested on the spot for stock theft. The brandmarked carcasses were also booked into SAPS storage, including the vehicle for further investigation, ”said Lt Col Ndubane.
The two suspects are expected to appear before Leslie Periodical Court soon,Lt Col Ndubane concluded.
Nine suspects arrested for damaging Transnet infrastructure at Warden
The police in Warden arrested nine suspects which were found stealing railway infrastructure which belong to Transnet at Kamfersdale Railway Line near the Steel Bridge along the N3 on Sunday morning.
Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring said the suspects were allegedly caught in the act of attempting to unscrew and steal 81 wooden railway sleepers(railroad ties).
According to Mophiring,police received information about the planned theft and immediately placed the area under surveillance. A coordinated operation was launched in collaboration with private security and Transnet security officials,resulting in the successful arrests and recovery of the stolen property.
Mophiring revealed that the majority of the suspects were foreign nationals and all of them lives in Gauteng,and vehicles used in the commission of the crime were seized.
"Among those arrested,eight are foreign nationals and one is a South African citizen.All nine suspects are reported to be residing in Gauteng Province.
Two vehicles,believed to have been used in the commission of the crime, a silver-grey Ford and an Isuzu bakkie, were seized at the scene," Mophiring added.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Warden Magistrate's Court on Wednesday,05 November 2025,facing charges relating to the damage and theft of essential infranstructure,concluded Mophiring.