Latest news with #Ledwaba
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Police arrest man with R8m in dagga in trailer
Limpopo police arrested a 27-year-old man who was found with 42 bags of compressed dagga in a trailer on Friday. Polokwane police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said the man was nabbed during a joint anti-smuggling operation conducted by the Limpopo tracking and task teams together with other police units and external law enforcement agencies. They received intelligence information about a white Toyota Hilux bakkie suspected to be transporting dagga from Eswatini destined for Vhembe District. 'An immediate search operation commenced for the bakkie and it was positively spotted towing a trailer along the R36 public road next to Mooketsi Weigh-bridge at about 7am. It was stopped, searched and found transporting 42 bags of compressed dagga weighing 851.8kg with an estimated street value of R8m.' Ledwaba said a 27-year-old male suspect failed to account for the origin of the dagga and was immediately placed under arrest. He is expected to appear in the Tzaneen magistrate's court on Monday. Police investigations are continuing.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
R8 million worth of dagga from Eswatini seized
Police swooped on a bakkie suspected to be carrying drugs into Limpopo. Limpopo police on Friday seized around R8 million worth of dagga during an anti-smuggling operation in the province. According to police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, officials received intelligence that a white Toyota Hilux bakkie was suspected to be transporting dagga from Eswatini. 'An immediate search operation commenced for the lookout of the bakkie, and it was positively spotted towing a trailer along the R36 public road next to Mooketsi Weigh-bridge at about 7 am. 'It was stopped, searched and found transporting forty-two bags (42) bags of compressed dagga weighing 851,85 Kg with an estimated street value of R8 million rands,' Ledwaba explained. Picture: Supplied He said a 27-year-old male suspect was questioned about the load and then arrested. He is expected to appear before the Tzaneen Magistrate's Court on Monday, 2 June 2025, on a charge of dealing in drugs. Picture: Supplied Other drug busts In February, two South Africans were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport for drug trafficking. They were travelling from Brazil and carrying cocaine with an estimated street value of R7.5 million. A few months earlier, a Brazilian woman was nabbed at the same airport, also coming from Brazil. She was carrying around R1.8 million worth of cocaine. NOW READ: Human trafficking exploiters spin web of drugs – expert
TimesLIVE
23-05-2025
- TimesLIVE
Family find son buried without their knowledge after seven years
A grieving family has found closure after the body of their 32-year-old son, mistakenly buried as a pauper after a 2018 car crash, was exhumed from a mass grave in the Mookgophong cemetery. The exhumation comes after an investigation by police and provincial authorities into the controversial burial of more than 40 unidentified bodies, many of which were interred without coffins, in clustered unmarked graves. According to SAPS spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba, the remains of the man were identified through a 'meticulous police investigation of fingerprints and DNA analysis'. This led to a formal request by his family to exhume the body and bury him with dignity. 'The corpse of a 32-year-old African male person who died in a vehicle accident in 2018 and buried by government as a pauper has been reconnected with his next of kin,' said Ledwaba. 'The police in Mahwelereng were recently approached by the family who had been looking for their son, not knowing that he died on the N1 near Mookgophong.'
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- The Citizen
Young women arrested in vehicle smuggling bust near Polokwane
POLOKWANE – Two young women, age 19 and 20, will appear before the Polokwane Magistrate's Court today on charges of possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle. The duo were arrested on the R101 near the Polokwane weighbridge on Sunday night (May 18) during a coordinated anti-smuggling operation involving SAPS' Anti-Smuggling team, Tshimollo Security and Investigation and Reflex Anti-Hijacking Security. You might also want to read: Limpopo police stop stolen vehicle en route to Zimbabwe The Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said officers intercepted a double cab bakkie on the R101, with preliminary investigations confirming that the vehicle was stolen last Friday (May 16) in the Garsfontein area in Pretoria. The vehicle was destined for the Beitbridge Border Post to be smuggled into Zimbabwe. 'During the stop, one male suspect fled into nearby bushes, while two female suspects attempted to escape but were apprehended after a foot chase and arrested,' he said. In a separate incident, officers intercepted an SUV in the Mokopane CBD, also en route to Beitbridge, with investigations revealing that the vehicle was reported stolen in the Wierdabrug policing area in Pretoria on Friday. 'The driver, a 34-year-old undocumented foreign national was arrested and will appear before the Mokopane Magistrate Court today,' Ledwaba said. The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has commended the operational teams for their relentless efforts, resulting in the recovery of the stolen vehicles valued at R1.4m. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
17-05-2025
- The Citizen
Vala Umgodi nabs seven for extortion
Seven suspects, who were arrested for two counts of extortion and attempted murder, were scheduled to appear in the Praktiseer Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, May 13. Mahlomola Mohlala (27), Vusimuzi Gale (32), Thabiso Mohlala (36), Lucky Nkosi (33), Mashoto Makofane (28), Phazy Lengwati (22) and Mogau Mamogale (36) first appeared in the same court on May 6 and were remanded in custody pending their bail application. ALSO READ: Operation Vala Umgodi nets 36 suspects in Sabie and Low's Creek According to Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, Limpopo's police spokesperson, members of the Vala Umgodi Operation were dispatched to a mining site in Driekop on May 5, following an alleged extortion incident in which the suspects had barricaded the road with their vehicles and were demanding money from truck drivers before allowing them to pass. ALSO READ: Operation Vala Umgodi officers nab five Mozambican nationals in Pilgrim's Rest 'A complainant, who was a service provider at the mine, was also threatened by the suspects and ordered to give them money. Upon arrival at the scene, the police found the mine's trucks blocked and the group of suspects was spotted. They fired shots at the officers and police retaliated. One suspect was shot and seven others were arrested. Emergency medical services were called to the scene and the suspect was declared dead. His identity is currently being withheld pending further investigations,' added Ledwaba. During the arrest, the SAPS confiscated a firearm with four rounds of live ammunition and five cellphones. 'The suspects' vehicles were also confiscated as part of investigations,' he said. Ledwaba said another group of suspects committed a similar offence in the area in April. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
