Pretoria - Mozambican national Pedro Rail Carlos was remanded in custody by the Belfast magistrate’s court after he was arrested in Nelspruit at the Machadodorp weighbridge for the possession of a stolen vehicle.
Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said Carlos was arrested on Tuesday by Machadodorp traffic officials performing routine duties at Wonderfontein.
“They stopped and searched a white Toyota Fortuner with one occupant. It was then discovered that the said vehicle was affixed with false registration plates,” said Sekgotodi.
“The Hawks’ serious organised crime investigation team was summoned to the scene and conducted a preliminary investigation that revealed that the vehicle was hijacked at Vosman on Monday where a victim was allegedly shot and wounded before three suspects fled the scene.”
Cash and three sim cards were seized from Carlos for further investigation.
The case was postponed to 14 March for the verification of Carlos’ address and the appointment of a legal representative.
Earlier this week, a swift response by police officers in Delmas, Mpumalanga, led to the pursuit of suspects in a cash-in-transit robbery and the arrest of two of the alleged criminals while another two were fatally wounded during a shootout.
Provincial police spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the suspects were cornered on the R42 Road in Delmas, after the attack on cash-in-transit guards on Monday.
“According to police report, a cash delivery van with two security guards was attacked by a group of heavily armed suspects. The suspects then tried to rob the guards of cash but their efforts were futile,” said Mohlala.
“Police were alerted and swiftly went to the scene and upon their arrival a shootout with police ensued. The police defended themselves whereby two suspects were fatally shot while two other suspects reportedly hijacked a Toyota Quantum minibus. The police managed to pursue the kombi and arrested the two suspects, aged 24 and 34.”
Mohlala said the rest of the suspects in the group managed to flee from police.
IOL