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Two arrests were made for the alleged theft of fuel from an oil pipeline.
Two people have been arrested for the alleged theft of fuel from an oil pipeline in Mpumalanga. They suffered severe burns during the alleged robbery.
The arrests were made in Kendal near Phola by Fidelity Security employees Thursday night, said Hawks spokesman Capt. Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi.
The couple, aged 28 and 39, were arrested after the Transnet control room detected a drop in fuel pressure in the pipeline.
“Authorities responded to the identified location and detained a suspect, who tried to flee. He had recent burn marks all over his body. There was a large fire in the nearby cornfield and, upon inspection, they realized that the flames [were] Transnet pipeline on fire, “Sekgotodi said.
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The incident was reported to local police and the Hawks’ organized felony investigation team.
“After an intensive search, a second suspect, who was also seriously burned, was detained after he was found hiding under a bridge,” Sekgotodi said.
They were treated on the spot, taken to the hospital and under police surveillance.
They were expected to appear in Phola Magistrates Court Monday on charges of willful damage to property, tampering with essential infrastructure and fuel theft.
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