Police arrest third suspect in connection with truck burnings

A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the attacks on freight trucks this week‚ police confirmed on Friday morning.

The person was arrested in Emalahleni on Thursday evening‚ according to national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe.

Mathe said all three suspects arrested for the torching of trucks are expected to appear in court on Monday and not Friday as previously reported”.

On Thursday police announced a breakthrough with the arrest of two truck drivers in Mpumalanga.

The suspects‚ aged 29 and 27‚ were arrested at their homes on that day.

Mathe said a multidisciplinary team assigned to investigate the attacks and burning of trucks made their first arrest on a farm in eMkhondo with the help of a private security firm. The other arrest was in Ermelo.

“Both suspects face charges of malicious damage to property‚” she said.

TimesLIVE spoke to the security company that helped with the arrest of the first suspect.

“We arrested him this morning [Thursday] about 1am at Lunerburg farm. After the arrest‚ we handed him over to the Sheepmoor police‚” the company said.

“The company he works for gave us the address and he was identified on truck drivers’ social groups. When we arrested him‚ we found voice notes where his friends told him to hide because we were looking for him.”

The security company claimed the man had shaved his beard and head before his arrest in a bid to conceal his identity.

Police minister Bheki Cele said on Wednesday that 12 people had been identified as suspects/persons of interest by officers investigating what has been described as co-ordinated attacks on freight trucks.

At least 21 trucks have been torched in KwaZulu-Natal‚ Limpopo and Mpumalanga since last weekend.

TimesLIVE