LYDENBURG – Four police officers from Limpopo Province are among seven suspects who have been denied bail in connection with a house robbery and illicit cigarettes case in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga Province.
The police officers involved are Sergeant Lucky Shogolo (40) and Constable Thapelo Ledwaba (34), both attached to the Polokwane Flying Squad, as well as Constable Malesela Huma (34) from the Mahwelereng K9 Unit and Constable Saraphina Senama (34) from Lebowakgomo SAPS.
The remaining suspects include South African civilian Sello Komane (29) and two Ethiopian nationals, Aleyo Shgutey (28) and Daniel Wikino (38).
The Mpumalanga Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) successfully opposed all bail applications at the Lydenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 13.
Lt Col Magonseni Nkosi, Hawks spokesperson for Mpumalanga, explained: “The NPA and DPCI successfully argued that further investigation is required, and the preliminary investigation must be completed before such an application will be considered.”
The bail hearing for the four police officers and civilian suspect is scheduled for Friday, October 17. The Ethiopian nationals are due to reappear on October 20, as their bail hearing was postponed to secure interpreter services.
The arrests took place on the evening of Friday, 10 October, when Lydenburg police responded to a house robbery in progress at a block of flats.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a police-branded vehicle from the Limpopo Flying Squad. The four occupants could not justify their use of the state vehicle. The situation became more serious when the robbery victims identified all four Limpopo police officials as the alleged robbers.
Two vehicles loaded with illicit cigarettes fled the scene when the situation escalated. Police managed to intercept one vehicle with tampered registration plates. The driver, Sello Komane (29), was also identified as one of the robbers.
Police made significant discoveries during their investigation. They found R950,000 concealed in plastic bags around the victims’ residence, as well as an undisclosed amount of cash hidden inside a bulletproof vest in the police vehicle.
Officers also discovered illicit cigarettes with an estimated value of R1.5 million at the victims’ residence.
The police officers and civilian suspect face house robbery charges, while the Ethiopian nationals are charged with possession and dealing in illicit cigarettes.
Lt Col Nkosi highlighted two key factors that make this case particularly serious. First, a branded state vehicle was used in the alleged crime. Second, the discovery of illicit cigarettes worth millions of rands adds another dimension to the case.
Police are continuing their investigation to determine the origin of the illicit cigarettes and the source of the recovered cash. Further investigations are underway as authorities work to uncover the full extent of the alleged criminal activities.
