R500,000 Cigarette Heist Foiled in Mpumalango Plantation Chase

It was a brazen act for a Tuesday morning. On the quiet, tree-lined road between Sabie and White River, a white Kia suddenly overtook a delivery van and slammed to a halt, forcing it to stop. In an instant, the calm of the Mpumalanga morning was shattered by the glint of firearms.

This was the start of a daring hijacking that saw a van loaded with half a million rand worth of cigarettes stolen, its crew abducted, and a police chase that would lead deep into a local plantation.

A Terrifying Ordeal on a Quiet Road

According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, the incident unfolded around 8:30 am. Two armed menone wielding a pistol, the other a rifleemerged from the Kia and confronted the drivers of the white Haval delivery van.

The victims were forced from their vehicle at gunpoint and shoved into the suspects’ Kia. They were then driven into the seclusion of a nearby plantation, a classic move by criminals seeking cover. Once deep in the bush, the captives were ordered to run and not look back. They eventually found help from plantation workers and were able to alert the authorities.

A Swift Response and a Lone Arrest

The call triggered a rapid and coordinated response. Police, alongside private car-tracking services, immediately began searching for the stolen Haval. It wasn’t long before the van was found, abandoned on the same Sabie/White River road where the hijacking had occurred.

The breakthrough came when sharp-eyed officers spotted fresh tyre tracks leading away from the main road and back into the plantation. Following the trail, they discovered more than they had hoped for: a Toyota Quantum minibus, parked and loaded with 28 boxes of the stolen cigarettes.

One suspect was apprehended at the scene. However, his accomplices managed to melt back into the vast plantation and remain at large. The search for them continues.

The recovery of the R500,000 consignment represents a significant victory for local police, disrupting a criminal operation that was executed with audacious precision. For the residents of Sabie, it’s a stark reminder that even in the most serene settings, the threat of violent crime is never far away.

{Source: IOL}

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