Lieutenant Colonel Piet Pretorius of the Emerlo SAPS Vehicle Identification Unit was gunned down on Thursday.
Image: SAPS
Five people have been arrested for the murder of Mpumalanga police officer, Lieutenant Colonel Piet Pretorius.
The 59-year-old commander of the Vehicle Identification Unit in Ermelo was gunned down on Thursday afternoon around 2pm.
A 72-hour plan was activated to track down the killers.
Less than 24 hours later, police teams and private security companies traced the suspects in Nelspruit where they were arrested.
The men are aged between 29 and 40.
Provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, a multi-disciplinary team established by the acting provincial commissioner, consisting of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS), detectives, intelligence and private security managed to track and trace the suspects in Nelspruit.
The burnt shell of what is believed to have been the suspects' getaway vehicle.
Image: SAPS
He added that police also discovered a burnt shell of a car, believed to have been the suspects' getaway vehicle.
"As promised, the Acting Provincial Commissioner has highlighted that they will leave no stone unturned in finding these police killers," Ndubane said.
The men are expected to appear in court soon on charges related to Pretorius's murder.
seanne.rall@iol.co.za
IOL
