Flashy Beemer sparks tip-off
Thabisile Khoza
Malelane - An Mpumalanga cop has been charged with vehicle theft after outraged neighbours tipped off police that he was driving a flashy new BMW.
Police found a stolen black BMW hidden in constable Obed Mhlanga's backyard when they raided his Komatipoort house this week.
Mhlanga appeared briefly in Malelane regional court on charges of vehicle theft and possession of stolen goods on Wednesday. He was refused bail and the case was postponed to December 27.
The 34-year-old constable was arrested by members of the serious and violent crimes unit in Nelspruit to ensure that Mhlanga was not warned by colleagues at his local police station.
Police refused to say on Wednesday, however, whether the arrest was linked to local vehicle-theft syndicates, who smuggled luxury cars into neighbouring Mozambique and Swaziland.
Tip-off from 'neighbours'
Authorities in these two countries have insisted that South African police and customs officials must be complicit in the syndicates for the vehicles to be smuggled through border posts.
"We cannot comment on the case at the moment, for fear of prejudicing our investigations.
All we can confirm is that Mhlanga was arrested after a tip-off from the community," said Inspector Eddy Ngobeni of Malelane police.
It is not yet clear whether Mhlanga will be suspended from duty pending the outcome of the trial, or whether he will face any additional internal disciplinary or corruption charges.
News was from www.news24.co.za
Posted by: www.SouthAfrica-CarHire.com
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