Alberton Traffic Official Arrested for Aiding Fuel Theft Syndicate

A 44-year-old employee at the Alberton Traffic Department has found himself on the wrong side of the law.

Petros Vusumuzi Mahlaba appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, June 18, facing charges of fraud and contravening the National Road Traffic Act.

Mahlaba’s arrest on Friday, June 14, was executed by the Hawks, officially known as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.

According to Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela, the provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, the arrest was carried out by their Serious Organised Crime Investigation team.

“The arrest stems from an investigation that began after Bidvest Protea Coin Security guards caught members of a syndicate tampering with essential infrastructure. The syndicate members were caught red-handed draining fuel from a Transnet pipeline in Klipfontein farm in Nigel in October 2023, and their truck was seized. The incident was then reported to the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit,” Mavimbela explained.

Further digging revealed that the horse and trailer truck involved belonged to a Newcastle owner.

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The investigation found that the syndicate had fraudulently changed the truck’s registration number from a Mpumalanga to a Gauteng plate without the owner’s knowledge.

“The investigation uncovered that Mahlaba had facilitated the fraudulent transaction. He forged signatures and used a copy of the owner’s ID to alter the registration number on October 10, 2023,” Mavimbela added.

The head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, praised the thorough work of the investigating officer and urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to tampering with petroleum pipelines.

Mahlaba’s case has been postponed to June 25 for a formal bail application. The Hawks continue to urge citizens to stay vigilant and report any dubious activities that may compromise the nation’s critical infrastructure.