| 2025/01/17 |
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Media Statement MPUMALANGA – Five suspects were detained in less than 12 hours after a police officer was killed in cold blood in an execution style in Ermelo yesterday afternoon, Thursday, 16 January 2025 at about 14:00. The officer was on his way back to the office when the assailant(s) sprayed his vehicle in a hail of bullets. The officer succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival in hospital. A team comprising of the Hawks Secunda and Nelspruit Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Secunda Crime Intelligence, Ermelo Detectives, and Gert Sibande District Detectives as well private security and tracking companies was assembled. Members’ efforts led to the apprehension of five suspects, four males aged between 29 and 40 years, and a 36 year old female in Nelspruit last night. One of the vehicles, a blue VW Polo, believed to have been used in the commission of crime was also seized during the arrest, whilst a BMW that was spotted on the crime scene was found burnt to ashes in a veld in Ermelo. Preliminary investigation revealed that the burnt vehicle was hijacked in Culcatta last year, October 2024. The case docket is under investigation by the Hawks’ Secunda based Serious Organised Crime Investigation.
The Mpumalanga Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, has commended the joint effort displayed by the multi-disciplinary team for ensuring the major breakthrough. “It is a hard pill to swallow that one of our own’s life was cut short in such a brutal manner, we will ensure that justice is served to our fallen hero. I applaud the members dedication, who upon receiving the information, worked timeously to ensure that their efforts brings some closure to the family, knowing that his colleagues honoured his life and service, through affecting the arrest,” said the General.
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