Transnet Fuel Bandit Nabbed by Multidisciplinary Team in Connection to R102 M Fuel Heist

• A multidisciplinary task force led by the Hawks tracked down an alleged kingpin in Pretoria
• The 35-year-old man is suspected to be the brains of the Transnet fuel heist that looted 8.5 million litres of fuel
• The kingpin is expected to appear in the Witbank Magistrates Court on Thursday, 20 October

PRETORIA - Hawks arrested the suspected kingpin of a syndicate implicated in fuel stolen from the Transnet pipeline on Wednesday, 19 October.

The arrest of the alleged kingpin followed that of two other suspects on Saturday, 15 October. The suspects were apprehended for fuel theft and tampering with the Transnet pipeline in Vrede, Frees Sate. The criminals were caught after allegedly delivering the contraband in Kromdraai, Witbank.

According to TimesLIVE, the Hawks claimed over 8.5 million litres of fuel was stolen from the Transnet pipeline last year. The stolen fuel has an estimated value of approximately R102m. Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase said that Transnet's pipeline formed part of South Africa's national key points.

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The alleged kingpin is expected to appear in the Witbank Magistrate's Court on Thursday, 20 October, and will later appear in a Vrede court alongside the other suspects, The Citizen reported.

Nkwalase confirmed that the arrest of the suspected syndicate kingpin marked the 46th suspect taken into custody in connection with the Transnet fuel heist.

South Africans weigh in on the arrest of the Transnet fuel syndicate kingpin

South Africans reacted to the arrest on social media:

@comfort_himslv speculated:

"Reality is , he'll be out on a pathetic bail amount for all this millions he's made."

@mwanda_zimasa added

"Our courts will them free as happened with bushy Bushiri."

@shabs_i_r demanded:

"Charge the swine for treason."

Brian Molefe and other ex-Transnet bosses back in the dock for R94 million state capture corruption case

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In another story, Briefly News reported that former top brass from South African railway company Transnet appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Friday, 14 October.

Ex-Transnet CEOs Brian Molefe and Siyabonga Gama appeared in the dock alongside former CFO Anoj Singh, ex-CFO Garry Pita, and former group treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi.

Regiments Capital directors Niven Pillay and Litha Nyhonyha are also expected to be in court along with other former Regiments Capital employees in a state-capture-linked case involving over 50 counts of corruption and fraud, TimesLIVE reported.

Source: Briefly News