A 33-year-old man has been arrested in Witbank after police recovered a hijacked truck and trailer, a container and unprocessed copper with a combined estimated value of approximately R9 million.
The recovery was made on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, during a multi-disciplinary operation involving the Nkangala Anti-Hijacking Task Team and Cyber Search Security.
According to police, a truck and trailer carrying a container loaded with unprocessed copper were hijacked in Grootvlei at about 08:30. The driver was allegedly hijacked along with the vehicle.
Following intelligence-led investigations and tracking efforts, police received information that the trailer had been located at a business premises in Witbank.
Members proceeded to the premises, where they allegedly found the trailer with its container attached to a different horse truck. The driver of the horse truck could not be located.
Police arrested the 33-year-old owner of the premises, who is a Zimbabwean national, and charged him with possession of suspected stolen property.
During the operation, police seized a horse truck, trailer, container and unprocessed copper. The copper alone was valued at approximately R7.8 million, while the total value of the recovered property was estimated at around R9 million.
Police also established that the suspect allegedly did not have valid documentation permitting him to remain in South Africa. He is therefore also facing a charge relating to contravention of the Immigration Act.
The arrested man is expected to appear in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court soon.
Investigations are continuing as police work to locate the hijacked driver and identify other people who may have been involved in the alleged hijacking and movement of the stolen property.
Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise commended the Nkangala Anti-Hijacking Task Team and Cyber Search Security for their efforts in recovering hijacked trucks and stolen property.
The recovery once again highlights the importance of intelligence-led operations and rapid vehicle tracking in the fight against truck hijackings and organised cargo crime in South Africa.
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