The swift action by the police led to recovery of a stolen BMW vehicle that was used in abducting two traffic officers in Mpumalanga. The officers were abducted by three armed assailants on Thursday around 12h00.The incident happened when three officers were doing their routine patrol duties along R25 Road near Verena.
The three officers were on duty around midday when two vehicles, a BMW and Toyota Corolla were stopped. One of the officers had stopped a white BMW vehicle while another officer stopped a Corolla.
The officer who stopped the BMW vehicle then requested the driver to produce a driver’s licence and the driver indicated he was not in possession of a licence. The officer then proceeded to inspect the vehicle to ascertain its roadworthiness and he established that the licence disk displayed was not valid. The officer subsequently indicated to the driver that he was going to issue him with summonses for failure to produce a valid driver’s licence and displaying an invalid licence disk.
As the officer was preparing summonses, the driver then said his licence was actually in the car. The officer then realised that the two passengers had already overpowered and disarmed two other officers. The suspects pointed pistils and a rifle at the two officers
The three immediately ordered to put his firearm on the ground. One of the officers was able to escape while the others were taken in the BMW sedan and the suspects drove away with the two officers. The escaped officer alerted the police who started the process of looking for the officers and the three men.
The two officers were then dropped in an unknown bushy area which is about 25 kilometres from Bronkshorspruit. The BMW with sedan three suspects were driving were found abandoned in Gemsbok near Vlaklaagte. The abducted vehicle was linked to the one that abducted the officers because an identification card belonging to one of officers was found in the vehicle.
Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe has condemned the incident saying the police should work around the clock to bring the suspects to book. He has further called on community members to be on the lookout for the three saying they are dangerous suspects and anybody who may spot should immediately contact the police.
He said the incident is an indication of imminent danger that law enforcers face when they are working to ensure that crime suspects are brought to book and that roads are safer. He said the incident should however not discourage them from working hard to ensure that communities are safe both at home and on the road.
“Our efforts to promote road safety will not be affected by such dastardly acts, we are therefore appealing to communities to partner with us to bring an end and end to crime and road crashes,” the MEC said.
Enquiries:
Joseph Mabuza
Tel: 013 766 4055
Cell: 082 678 1450
E-mail: emabuza@mpg.gov.za
