R80m cargo stolen from truck in May found

Free State police have arrested a suspect after finding goods worth R80m allegedly stolen in May in his Bloemfontein warehouse.  

Police said the 44-year-old man has been charged with possession of stolen goods and will appear in court soon. 

The suspect was arrested on Wednesday in a joint operation between the provincial organised crime unit, the Bloemfontein tactical response team and the local criminal record centre after information was received about a warehouse in East End Business Park possibly being used to store goods from hijacked trucks.

They found 1,680 boxes of diesel engine catalytic converters worth an estimated R80m in the warehouse. 

“The suspect could not produce proof of ownership of the goods and was arrested.

“Further investigations revealed that the loot came from a truck that was hijacked in May travelling from the Eastern Cape to Gauteng.”

Police said the truck driver was attacked by a group of unknown males driving a bakkie after he stopped at the side of the road near Venterstad in the Eastern Cape.

The suspects allegedly put the driver in their vehicle and drove towards Bloemfontein, where they met a man to arrange storage for the truck’s cargo.

“The truck was later handed back to the driver without the cargo and police were made aware of the incident.”

The team is searching for the other suspects. 

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