Mpumalanga stolen property

Three suspects found with stolen property in Mpumalanga
Image via Adobe Stock

Hawks arrest 17 suspects for illegal gas dealing in Gauteng

The Hawks swooped on the suspects on Thursday and recovered hundreds of gas cylinders valued at hundreds of thousands of rands.

Mpumalanga stolen property

Three suspects found with stolen property in Mpumalanga
Image via Adobe Stock

Seventeen suspects who have been arrested by the Hawks for allegedly dealing illegally in gas are expected to appear in the Roodepoort and Johannesburg Magistrates Courts on Friday morning.

The suspects are appearing in court following a successful sting operation conducted by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Krugersdorp together with the SAPS Gauteng Tracking Team. The successful sting, conducted in Krugersdorp on Thursday, led to multiple arrests and the recovery of hundreds of gas cylinders valued at hundreds of thousands of rands. Police are expecting to make further arrests in the matter. 

Hawks spokesperson, Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu, said that the suspects, who are aged between 18 and 50 are facing charges of contravening the criminal amendment Act 101 of 1956 and fraud.

“Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Krugersdorp together with the Gauteng Tracking Team conducted an intelligence driven operation yesterday in the Florida where one suspect was arrested after illegally selling gas cylinders filled with illicit gas,” Mulamu said.

Mulamu said that during the latest successful sting operation, the investigation team had managed to recover a sum of R2800 in entrapment cash and the investigating officers had seized the gang’s gas cylinders at the scene of the arrest.

“Further investigation led the investigation team to a premises in Langlaagte where a search and seizure warrant was executed and sixteen additional suspects were apprehended,” Mulamu said.

Mulamu said that the state had alleged that the suspects were allegedly processing a fully operational illicit gas filling station without any accreditation by gas cylinder companies such as Affrox, EP Gas, Orix Gas, Easi Gas, and Raelite Gas.

Among other items seized for ongoing further police investigation, police officers confiscated more than 500 gas cylinders of different sizes. The gas cylinders are estimated to be worth an estimated R500 000.

“The investigation continues and more arrests cannot be ruled out,” Mulamu said.