MBOMBELA - A 25-year-old man is expected to appear in the Mkobola Magistrate's Court today, July 9, on a charge of possession of a suspected stolen truck.

The suspect was arrested by members of the South African Police Service at Kwaggafontein on Friday, July 6, around 06:00, while driving a white Toyota Dyna truck allegedly stolen in Secunda.
Police were conducting a routine operation on a gravel road, when they stopped the Dyna truck. They first tried to stop a suspicious looking red bakkie that was driving in front of the Dyna, but it sped away. The driver of the Dyna alighted from the vehicle and tried to flee. Police gave chase and managed to apprehend him.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the truck belongs to a driving school in Secunda. It had been stolen earlier, without the owner being aware of its disappearance. The latter was surprised to hear that his truck had been recovered as he was not even aware that it had been stolen.

The suspect will appear in Mkobola on an illegal possession charge, and is then expected to appear later in Secunda on a charge of the theft of a motor vehicle.

The Provincial Commissioner for Police in Mpumalanga, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma, commended the members in blue for their swift action, as the area in which the operation was conducted is notorious for criminal activities.

Submitted by: Col Mtsholi Bhembe
Subeditor: Lynette Brink