Mpumalanga thieves caught stealing diesel from Transnet pipeline

Two suspects have been arrested after they were caught stealing diesel from a Transnet pipeline in Delmas, Mpumalanga, on Friday 21 February.

Diesel thieves nabbed, thanks to vigilant Transnet security

According to police spokesperson Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, the vigilance of two Transnet security guards led to the discovery of a diesel tanker that was parked near a pipeline, with eight suspicious characters huddled around it.

Realising the events that were unfolding before their eyes, the Transnet security guards, clearly outnumbered, pounced into action. The eight suspects tried to make a run for it and while six managed to escape into the wilderness of Delmas, two were arrested.

Mpumalanga law enforcement authorities were notified and a search for the other suspects was launched. However, by then, it was a little too late, as the suspects had gained some distance from the crime scene.

“A further search of the area yielded no further good results for the security guards despite being joined by the Serious Organised Crime Investigation team, Delmas SAPS, Witbank SAPS, Flying Squad and the LCRC,” Captain Sekgotodi said.

Items recovered include 20 000-litre tanker

At the scene, police recovered a 20 000-litre diesel tanker, two generators — one was inside the truck and the other was mounted to a hose which was extracting the diesel from the pipeline — and other incriminating instruments.

The suspects who weren’t quick enough to escape the clutches of the Transnet security guards were placed under arrest and are expected to appear before the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The pair, aged 21 and 28, faces charges related to the theft of diesel as well as malicious damage to property.

At this time, authorities are confident that the evidence collected on the scene, along with the eyewitness testimony of the Transnet security guards, is sufficient to present a strong case in court.

However, the search for the six suspects who were also involved in the crime is the main priority at this time. While the confiscation of the diesel tanker and the other instruments did hurt their ambitions, authorities can’t rule out the threat the suspects hold in attempting to steal from the state-owned entity (SOE) once again.