Cape Town - A 44-year-old man from the Free State is expected to appear in court soon after he was arrested for a stolen truck cargo worth R80 million.
The stolen goods have been reported to have been taken during a truck hijacking in May.
According to the provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli, members of the Free State Provincial Organised Crime Unit working together with the Bloemfontein Tactical Response Team and Local Criminal Record Centre, reacted to intelligence-led information about a warehouse possibly used to store goods from hijacked trucks.
This information led the officers to a warehouse in East End industrial park in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
“Information led members to a warehouse in East End industrial park in Bloemfontein. On arrival, members found the warehouse owner and the suspect whose stored property (the goods) belongs to.
“The property, 1 680 boxes containing diesel engine catalytic converters worth an estimated value of R80 million, were found packed in the warehouse.
“The 44-year-old suspect could not produce proof of ownership of the goods and was subsequently arrested.
“Further investigations revealed that the loot came from a truck that was hijacked back in May 2022, travelling from the Eastern Cape to Gauteng,” Kareli said.
It is alleged the truck driver was attacked by a group of unknown men driving a bakkie after he stopped along the side of the road near Venterstad in the Eastern Cape.
Kareli said the suspects placed the truck driver in their vehicle and drove towards Bloemfontein, where they then met with the 44-year-old suspect and arranged for storage of the stolen goods.
The truck was later handed back to the truck driver without its cargo.
Kareli said police were made aware of the incident, and the arresting team is following up on other leads that can assist in arresting more suspects.
The 44-year-old man will be charged with possession of stolen goods.
IOL