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Quick action by Qumbu police, including the Vispol Commander, led to the arrest of 8 suspects tied to stock theft, illegal guns, and a hijacked state vehicle.
The breakthrough occurred on Tuesday afternoon, 15 July 2025, around 17:00, when officers noticed a suspicious unregistered vehicle with four male occupants travelling along the Balasi gravel road. The vehicle was immediately stopped and searched.
Two of the suspects, aged between 23 and 45, were found in possession of unlicensed 9mm pistols with erased serial numbers and a total of 19 live rounds. Police records revealed the Toyota GD6 bakkie they were travelling in belonged to the Department of Health and had been hijacked in Dutywa on Friday, 11 July 2025.
Further investigations uncovered the group’s involvement in stock theft. The suspects led police to Nxothwe village, where four more men, aged between 25 and 48, were arrested. Forty-two stolen sheep, traced to the Ndasala locality in Qumbu, were recovered.
OR Tambo District Commissioner, Major General Norman Modishana, commended the officers for their dedication, stating, “It is clear that we are dealing with a stock theft syndicate, and police will work around the clock to dismantle it, putting all involved behind bars.”
