Three suspects belonging to a syndicate that has been smuggling stolen vehicles across the border to Mozambique, have been arrested; two of the suspects have been charged with the murder of a prominent anti-crime activist, Sipho "Juda" Mthethwa.
Mthethwa was gunned down outside his home in Manguzi, northern KwaZulu-Natal in February this year.
Mthethwa also served as the Chairperson of the Umhlabuyalingana Society Against Crime organisation and was at the forefront in the fight against cross-border crime in areas around uMkhanyakude.
Thokozani Dlamini, 36, Sipho Mhlanga, 36, and Xolani Mkhwanazi, 28, were arrested during a takedown operation in Empangeni this week.
National police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said the men were allegedly found with two unlicensed pistols and several rounds of ammunition.
"The firearms have been taken in for ballistic testing to determine if they have been used in the commission of crimes,’’ Mathe said.
According to Mathe, the three have already appeared before various courts in northern KZN, including Empangeni, Emanguzi, and Ngwelezane Magistrate’s Court.
They appeared on charges of murder, kidnapping, car hijacking, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, and house robbery.
Mathe said the trio is being linked to at least 52 more cases linked to car hijackings in northern KZN.
Meanwhile, the national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola said he was confident that the task team deployed to clamp down on cross border vehicle smuggling syndicates in Northern KwaZulu-Natal continue to make progress.
"We will continue to respond accordingly to ensure we prevent and combat crime in communities like Umkhanyakude. Since the inception of crime combatting operations like Operation Shanela, we have managed to arrest 99,754 suspects in a bid to ensure safer communities since May 8, 2023", said General Masemola.
IOL